A Second Chance The New Sephiroth
by Krazie-edge
Summary: Sephiroth gets a second chance at life. Why? who knows, but what he does will totally surprise the old crew and their children. all except the very one who doesn't know. BTW i don't own FFVII. just the OCs and the plot. might rewrite this...
1. A Second Chance: the New sephiroth

(Wake up...)

'Leave me to death...'

(Get up now...)

'No. Leave me to death as I said.'

(Do I have to force you up? You will do as I say!)

He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling above him. He was still in the northern crater where he had fallen so many years ago. And perfectly preserved in Mako. He sat up and the sound of Mako splashing off of him was heard around the cavernous place. He breathed heavily assuming that this was his death place so long ago. Now it was just a large cavern barren of all but Mako and himself. He had supposed that Mako monsters would have come by now, but they hadn't. That was strange, as Mako monsters were everywhere Mako was abundant. He struggled to his feet uneasily. his leather pants had been ripped almost into oblivion around his legs, but covered him well enough. In the many years of his absence the planet had begun to heal further and close over the northern crater to almost non-existence. He looked around and spotted an exit. He made his way to it only to discover that it was another Mako pool. He sighed heavily as Jenova interjected on him again.

(You think I'd preserve my son anywhere but a huge Mako pool?)

He grumbled at Jenova.

(Get moving we have things to do...)

"Leave me alone Jenova..." the echo of Jenova's laughter rang in his ears heavily. He jumped the few feet into the next Mako pool. He crossed this expanse of Mako exhausted and dejected. His platinum hair hung in his face as he walked. He climbed a stalagmite that hung from a hole above and the muscles of his arms screamed from the pressure after years of dormancy. Jenova cackled maniacally as she had always done. He ignored her laughter for now as he pulled himself higher and higher. He almost fell and Jenova howled with delight.

"So... you want me to fall to my death?" Jenova still hooting in delectation answered.

(It wouldn't matter my super SOLDIER. Because you wouldn't die for long.)

He grumbled and put a hand to grasping the edge of the hole he was to pull himself through. He struggled through the hole much to Jenova's pleasure.

(I see you still have it within you to be the best!)

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he screamed. His words rattled around the cavernous territory of the Northern Crater. He stared at the ground in defiance to Jenova. It was then he noticed the shiny thing at his feet. He bet down and examined it. It was covered in dirt that had fallen from the ceiling over the years. He began to brush the dirt gently away from it. It was discovered to be the end of a long sword. He began brushing dirt off the blade until he found the hilt. He grinned at his old sword and sheathed it at his side. He pulled himself from within the crater and stood up. The planet had changed in his absence. The planet seemed a happier since his so called demise.

(Sephiroth)

'What do you want from me now?' he squinted his eyes at the expanse before him. The white snow sent off the sun in such brightness it hurt his eyes.

(I have a little surprise for you.)

'What is it?'

(Look around you)

He looked about for a moment 'I see nothing.'

(She must not have listened to me again.)

Those words surprised him greatly. 'There is another like me?' he ignored Jenova's cackling and walked towards the Icicle Inn. There he bought a pair of black pants, a blue long sleeved shirt, something to make his hair a different color, and a few guns and knives. Jenova screamed at him in protest as all this went on. He purchased a meal and a room for the night and disappeared into the room with his meal. He lay on the bed after setting the food he bought on the night table beside him. It was then Jenova spoke.

(About the surprise my son)

'Stop calling me your son...'

(Find the one with-)

"I don't care Jenova," he grumbled and sat up to eat his meal. Jenova kept annoying him about her plans to rule. Him, her, and this surprise...

He soon lay on his side and went to sleep.

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Vincent stared over the town of Nibelheim with his child who was about twenty years of age now. His hair was streaked with white. He had aged considerably. He no longer wore the dark red cloth and cloak, but had passed them to his daughter, who stared over the town with boredom. Her black tail flicked about behind her.

"Mecha," Vincent sighed at the girl, who promptly looked at him with a blue eye. The other was covered by her black hair, "What have I told you about your tail?"

This caused Mecha to groan in protest.

"Answer me Mecha," Vincent's cool voice said gently to his daughter.

"Don't expose my tail near windows or people except you, the old group, and Mom," her soft voice replied to Vincent, and her tail withdrew its' previous actions and wrapped around her waist.

"Supper!" a cheerful voice rang out.

"Go ahead," Vincent said turning to the window, "I'll be along in a moment." Mecha knew something was on his mind, but left him alone and trotted to her mother, who was none other than Aeris. Revived and well. Vincent had gone to where Sephiroth had killed her and revived her on his own, after the last battle had ensued and Sephiroth had been defeated.

"Mom... Dad's acting funny today..." Aeris turned to her daughter.

"I know, go wash up." Mecha wandered off to wash for supper and Aeris paled. Vincent had acted strangely before. The last time Sephiroth was alive. She turned to the stove and finished up the ham, by putting a layer of its' juices over it. She knew that it was inevitable.

She began to cry as both Mecha and Vincent wandered in. Vincent instinctively went to her and put his hand on her shoulder, while Mecha, who had never seen her mother cry before, stood staring at both.

"Mom?" Vincent looked to Mecha. "Go get the others... quickly now... this is urgent... and stay away from people. Be on the lookout for one in particular." Mecha looked surprised. She knew that she had to get the others in a hurry by the tone in her father's voice. She bolted from the room and snatched the buster sword Cloud had given her on her 16th birthday. She packed in a hurry, a few turbo ethers, a few materia, a few elixirs, and a lot of potions. She slipped a star pendant around her neck to ward off poison and a powerful defense armlet. Vincent led Aeris to their room as Mecha tore from the house and out of Nibelheim. She bolted across the field in a hurry towards Cosmo Canyon. She encountered a few Nibel wolves along the way and dispatched them quickly. She was lucky to not have run into the stronger creatures. She ran up the stairs to the entrance of the small town and began to plead with the sentry to get Nanaki.

"Please!" she cried.

"I'm sorry he's away on a hunt in the Gi caves." The guard had given away too much information and Mecha shoved past him and ran up the stairs to the weapons shop. She disappeared inside as the sentry called for back up. She appeared again as the back-up came and the sentry franticly told one to wait and the rest to come. They bolted after Mecha as fast as they could go, who disappeared in the next door.

"She's going into the Gi caves! We have to stop her!" Mecha slammed open the door and slid down the ropes to the inside and seconds. She ran into a ghost of the Gi and screamed for Nanaki, who was about halfway through the caves to pay his monthly visit to his father when he heard the scream of his younger friend. He bolted back as she fended off the Gi by herself. When he reached her he helped her battle them away. After a little while, she fell to the ground panting. Under the curse of a death sentence.

"What are you doing down here Mecha? Don't you know how dangerous it is alone?"

"Nanaki... Dad told me it's urgent..." Nanaki looked at her.

"Urgent? From Vincent?" he picked up the tired girl over his back and got her out of the caves.

"Can you get Cid? I have to get the others..." Nanaki set her down in his Grandfathers old bed.

"You need to rest." Nanaki padded across the room and dug out a remedy. He carried it to her and set it on her stomach. "Drink that. I'll get Cid and come back for you." she did as he said and fell into a deep sleep, having just saved herself from death with the drink.

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Sephiroth awoke to Jenova's voice franticly yelling at him to get up. He groaned and sat up. He showered and put on his new shirt and pants. He then covered his hair in the dye that turned his hair black as night. He ran his fingers through his hair and hoped it wouldn't rain on his journey. He strapped a holster to his leg and slipped its gun inside. He snapped the gun in place for an easy grab, in case of a battle he couldn't avoid while in cities and towns. He stopped in bone village and purchased the rest of his disguise as Jenova screeched in his head. He was finally getting tired of her and shoved her away from his mind into a lower part of his brain. He walked out of bone village and caught a boat to Costa Del Sol in order to get anywhere; you had to go straight to Costa Del Sol.


	2. The Kisaragi and an Airship Accident

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Cid's airship revved and took to the air as Nanaki spoke to him. He rubbed his whisker-studded chin and adjusted his goggles in his now pure white hair.

"So lil' Mecha's back at yer place restin?" Cid still thought of her as a child, which she didn't mind really, because compared to him and Nanaki she was a child.

"Yes... sacrificed herself to tell me Vincent wanted us urgently..."

"Then we better get goin an' get lil' Mecha!" he told the pilot to go over Cosmo Canyon. Soon they had Mecha aboard and resting in the fresh hay of the chocobo stall in the ship. She was still asleep, but well. They headed to get Yuffie next. She noticed the big ship and started to sneak into her hiding place. She watched the ship land and out stepped Nanaki, followed by Cid carrying Mecha, who was just waking up. She came up to them and looked at Mecha.

"She looks bushed."

"Yeh, she's on a mission to collect the old group. Lil' trooper... Do you know where Reeve is? We need Cait Sith now."

"Cid! We don't need Cait anymore! Reeve has expressed that he will fight with us in further battles! Since he quit Shinra, he's gotten stronger. I don't want to be in this! Last time I was nearly killed! I don't want that again! I am thirty-eight years old I don't need to fight! Besides I have my own family to take care of!"

"Yuffie, you sure have grown... I am sure that this is only a meeting to discuss things. Not plunge strait in," Nanaki blinked his one good eye.

"Oh alright... let me tell my family I'll be back in a few days and to be good."

"Can I meet them Yuffie?" Mecha asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah sure Mecha... you haven't met my family yet have you..." Mecha shook her head slowly. She tried to get Cid to put her down, but he wouldn't. Cid was like a second father. In fact the whole group would take care of Vincent's daughter. She was at more risk than the others children anywhere. She had no control over the changes that she was born with and she took sick not as easily, but when she did, she wasn't much help at all. Of course the whole group would take care of the others kids anyway. They stepped into the large house Godo lived in and set Mecha on a mat so she could rest while Yuffie told her children good-bye and to come meet her friend. They all filed in, about four of them, the oldest 18. The youngest 3. All with the blackest hair and green eyes. They said hello to the others that visited often, but stared at Mecha, who was struggling to sit up. The second oldest an 8 year old named Thommy wandered up to Mecha. His hair was short and spiky and he wore blue shorts and a red shirt

"Are you ok lady?"

"Thommy, her name is Mecha." Thommy nodded and his sister Larise, who was the 3 year old, with shoulder length hair, walked to Mecha and sat on her lap after Cid helped her lean against the wall. Larise wiggled on Mecha's lap and touched her hair.

"Miss Mecha your hair is soft like my baby chocobo's feathers!" the oldest chuckled deciding this Mecha lady was all right. He came over and touched her hair. He was a big man, and his hair was the longest of all the children about to his waist. He wore a blue kimono, which was tied with a black sash.

"You're absolutely right Larise! It is soft as Chicky's feathers!" his deep voice rang out in delight.

The last spoke solemnly, "Jared... do you see what I see in this woman's eyes?" Jared looked at Mecha's eyes. Or at least the one that wasn't covered by her hair.

"Nope Jesu, nothing," he replied to his other sister. Jesu wore clothes as Yuffie once had, but her hair was stuck up all over the place.

"I see evil!" Yuffie's husband walked in. A man even bigger than Jared and with blonde hair. Wearing a kimono like Godo's old ones

"Why is Jesu yelling?"

"Johna, meet Mecha." Mecha was becoming uncomfortable with all the staring and hair petting.

"Can we go now?" Yuffie ushered her children from the room, but Jared lingered a little just outside the door. Soon he too was gone.

"I'm sorry Mecha..." Mecha paled.

"We have to get to Reeve, Barret, Tifa, and Cloud... We don't have much time... I feel my father growing impatient with me."

"We will rest the night first." Mecha sighed and moved herself to lying on the purple mat they had put her upon. Nanaki lay beside her and Cid on the mat next to them. Cid and Nanaki were soon asleep. Cid's snoring was enough to wake the dead. She soon got up slowly and walked outside for some fresh night air. She stumbled and nearly fell. She stopped to make sure no one had heard and quietly moved to the porch steps and sat down. But someone had heard. Jared was on his way out with a huge katana. He was going to kill the intruder. As he neared the door he saw Mecha's red cloaked form on the steps. He put the katana aside and walked to the door clearing his throat. Mecha jumped and looked at Jared.

"Mind if I join you out here Miss Mecha?" Mecha shook her head.

"I don't mind..." Jared came out and set on the steps beside her.

"How are you feeling?" she waved a hand.

"A bit dizzy, but I'll be alright..." Jared felt an impulse to grab Mecha's hand in his larger one, but restrained himself.

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Sephiroth stepped onto the docks at about midnight. He walked into the Inn and lay down the exact Gil for the room. He stared from the window wondering what Jenova was screaming about. Jenova was screaming in riddles again.

(Tentacle tail! Tentacle tail!)

He narrowed his eyes at Jenova's words

(Plans to be complete!)

'Shut-up will you...' Sephiroth walked to his bed, his boots making noise on the floor and lay on the bed in total exasperation. He shoved Jenova away again into the deep recesses of his mind, so he could go to sleep.

The next morning he awoke. He slipped the glasses he'd bought onto his face over a pair of gray eyes. His disguise was almost complete. He took a length of cord and tied his hair back. Now he had a resemblance to Hojo. It would do for now. He walked out into the daylight and went to get on the ship to Junon.

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Cloud had gotten a call from Vincent and was pacing the floor of his home in Midgar. He was in charge of Shinra after Reeve decided to give it a chance at redeeming itself with Cloud, who was expecting a change in the slums by next month. He was doing as promised and changing everything. Midgar no longer used Mako energy for it purposes. The reactors lay dormant and were being transformed into a more efficient place. Maybe a power plant that could supply the world with power again. Mako would never be used for evil again. There was even a new scientist called Norman working all hours he could to figure out a way to wean those who needed Mako to survive to something less life costing. Norman knew he couldn't save all of the Mako testees, but he could sure try. Hojo had somehow been revived and was in a padded cell screaming almost all hours of the day. They had given him a chance 20 years ago, back when Vincent still lived in Midgar with Aeris and his new daughters Mecha and Anima, who were perfectly normal healthy little girls at the time. Hojo had kidnapped them and taken them into the lab constantly injecting them with Jenova cells and Mako. By the time they had retrieved them at the age of five, Anima was already beyond weaning off Mako. Mecha however needed an injection every few minutes to survive for the first few years, but they slowly weaned her down to where all she needed to do was go into the Mako tank below her house once a year to replenish herself.

"She was supposed to have been here by now!" Cloud was basically upset. "Vincent will kill me if his precious daughter isn't alright!"

"Calm down honey." Tifa placed her hand on Cloud's arm to stop his pacing. Cloud looked at her.

"Tifa I just... I have to find her! What happens if she's hurt! Vincent won't forgive me or any of the rest of us!" the phone began to ring.

"Cloud!" Tifa had enough. "Stop this! She will be fine! She has got to have one or two around her by now! They will protect her until she gets here!" Cloud began to calm himself and picked up the phone and barked orders into it. Tifa wobbled to the bed and lay down. She needed a break. She still hadn't told Cloud about her pregnancy with his second child. Cloud knew, but he wasn't angry for her not telling him, for he was always busy with restoring Midgar. He almost missed the birth of his son Jordan, who was about 22 now. He was on his own and working at the chocobo ranch. Cloud lay the phone down and went to Tifa.

"Are you ok Teefie?" she nodded painfully. He lay his hand gently on her stomach and felt the small kicks of a baby. He smiled to Tifa and ran his fingers through part of her hair. "I'll call Jordan to take care of you.."

"Ok.." with that Cloud strode to the phone and called his son.

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Sephiroth watched an airship go over his head headed for Midgar. He recognized the ship after it had passed.

"The Highwind has passed!" a few deck hands cried, "This is really good luck!" Sephiroth sighed as all the deck hands ran around a while chanting about how much luck they were going to have. He grumbled and went below deck to hide from the noise of the chanting sailors as Jenova cackled eerily in his head about the plans.

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Mecha was sitting on the deck of the airship staring out at the world. She didn't speak to anyone on the ship, just stared at the water below. She had spotted a ship and a black haired man gazing silently at the Highwind. She rubbed her head and watched the sky in front now. Jared had come along with his mother for company. They had picked up Barret that morning in Costa Del Sol with a 30 year old Marlene and Mecha hadn't spoken yet. She was waiting to get Reeve, Tifa and Cloud aboard the ship and heading back to Nibelheim, before she uttered a word to anyone of them about what was going on. Barret seethed in anger and pointed the gun-arm at Mecha.

"I wouldn't if I were you Barret..."

"Why the hell won't ya tell us!" Mecha jumped up and spun around. Her hair floated up and exposed her left eye, which was red. Both eyes were full of malevolence.

"As I said before! Get the other 3 and I'll tell you!" Barret left her alone after that, but she wasn't staying on the bridge any longer. She stormed out of the bridge and jumped over to the chocobo stall and hid inside the hay for a nap. Cid and Nanaki knew where she went and why. They reached Midgar soon after. After Barret had left the ship, Mecha crawled out and came out too. She was the first to lead them off towards Cloud's newest home. On the way they ran into Jordan. More like Mecha physically ran into the man. Her hair flew up from in front of her red eye as she swore in the language of the Cetra, something all looked at her for, and Jordan reached down to help her up.

"I'm sorry..." he pulled Mecha to her feet, "I'm Jordan Strife. I was on the way to see my father." Mecha dusted herself off. Her hair fell back over her red eye.

"It's ok.. it was my fault.. me and these guys are going to see a friend on important business." she walked past Jordan and up the stairs to Cloud's house and banged on the door. Jordan and the others walked up behind her as they heard Cloud yelp. The door swung open and revealed a stressed Cloud. His hair was shorter than Mecha remembered in somewhat of a buzz-cut.

"Mecha Valentine!" he cried and grabbed the surprised girl into a hug making her eye that was visible go wide. She slapped at his arms and he released her.

"Gods Cloud! Kill me why don'cha!" Cloud looked apologetic.

"Sorry Mecha.. you should have been here yesterday. Your father was angry with me."

"Nanaki had to save me yesterday because of my senseless actions."

"Oh..." Cloud looked relieved to see that Mecha was protected well. "I can't leave Tifa... she needs me now." Cloud explained that Tifa was pregnant.

"We can transport her to Mideel to be taken care of there. We still have to get Reeve... and you can stay..."

"Thanks Mecha, but she doesn't want to move to do anything..." Mecha smiled.

"She won't have to move. We can carry her. Cid and Nanaki carried me when I needed it." Cloud felt much better. Cid and Jordan picked up Tifa and carted her to the airship. The others followed quickly, while Mecha and Cloud stayed behind to talk.

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Sephiroth had entered Midgar hours after the airship landed. He headed to the new Shinra president's house. He saw Cloud in a suit taking to someone smaller and dressed like Vincent. He coolly shook off his uneasiness and walked up to the two appearing a bit lost.

"Um... can you two help me?" the shorter looked at him slightly as Cloud answered.

"How can I help you Mr.-?"

"Quicksilver, Seth Quicksilver," Sephiroth had thought of that one in the nick of time. The shorter of the two showed uneasiness at being near this new person and backed away. Cloud reached out and snatched the smaller one's arm.

"Well Mr. Quicksilver, What can I do for you?" Seth pushed up his glasses.

"I need the president of Shinra..." the smaller gritted teeth as it pulled harder to get away from Cloud.

"I am the president of Shinra." Jenova screamed at him as Cloud turned to speak to the smaller.

(Kill him! Kill him now! You don't need to risk the chance of being found out now!)

'Shut up,' he told the voice in his head. He then spoke to Cloud, "I need access to Hojo's files." Cloud looked suspicious of Seth.

"You'll have to talk to Norman Osimmier about that. He's in control of the lab now... now if you'll excuse me. My friend is trying to escape." Sephiroth looked to the smaller one, who was ready to attack Cloud out of fear of the larger man nearby.

"I can help you to not let him escape." He watched the smaller pull at Cloud's arm to free itself. When it heard him in reference to itself it stopped and stared at him. But still pulled at Cloud to get free of him. The resemblance to Vincent was uncanny in this small thing, but it wasn't a man at all. It was a woman, staring at him with a blue eye. He couldn't see the other as the black hair covered it.

"Mr. Quicksilver. This is not a man. This is quite the opposite," he said to Sephiroth, who had already recognized his mistake and was apologizing in a gracious manner. Cloud released her and moved towards the ship alone as the woman stared up at Sephiroth.

"I am very sorry lady-. By any chance, can I have your name?" he watched her blink for a moment before deciding to at least speak her name.

"Mecha." Jenova squealed in his head.

(What are you doing!)

Mecha must have heard the voice because she answered aloud, "What business does it have to do with you... I told you years ago to back off and I meant it..." her face twisted into a look of anger. "Yet you follow me like a plague!" she looked to Sephiroth and paled.

"What was that for?" he asked.

(Hahahahahahahahahaha!)

"I'm hearing- SHUT-UP WILL YOU! that voice again. I'm sorry.. I have to get to my friends." Sephiroth stopped her and she looked at him.

"Maybe you can help lady Mecha." Mecha shook her head.

"My dad would be pissed if he caught me talking to strange people without the group... I'm really sorry."

"Is there a way to get to Hojo's files while you are with your group?"

(Yes... then take her down with your blade)

Mecha's eyes darted to the blade on his back nervously. Jenova loved doing that to her, but then she heard another voice say, 'no! Get out of my head! Leave me alone!' Mecha scratched her head.

"I can get you the files..." Sephiroth ignored Jenova and smiled at Mecha.

"That would be wonderful."

"Promise me one thing..."

"What's that lady Mecha?" Mecha began walking towards the airship.

"Don't go insane..." he blinked at her and began to follow her towards the ship. "And stay out of the groups conversations ok? Unless we call you into them..." Sephiroth nodded and both began to climb up to the ship. Mecha concentrated on climbing instead of jumping, because she couldn't jump high enough to land on the deck. She had tried once and nearly killed herself. Her foot slipped as her concentration broke, due to Jenova's screaming at Sephiroth. she clung to the ladder as she tried to get herself back up. Sephiroth saw this and began to quickly scale the ladder.

(Kill her..)

'No..'

(Do it!)

'You can't make me do it.'

(If I have to I'll take over your hand and fling her towards the ground.)

'No! Leave her alone!'

(Have you gotten weak! I am all you need! Lover, mother, and friend!)

'Nooooo. You are nothing to me anymore.' he argument betwixt them continued until he reached the fearful Mecha. He snaked his hand around her waist as her hands slipped from the bar. "Gotcha lady Mecha," he said to the shivering girl in his left arm quietly. He held the girl tightly and climbed the ladder the rest of the way.

She sank to the floor of the deck when he sat her on the ship so he could climb up. Everyone stared and took Cloud and Tifa to Mideel, where they had to get Reeve. On the ride Sephiroth watched Mecha from a vantage point far away. She still wasn't ready to talk to anyone as Jenova had almost cost her life once again. She stayed curled up where Cid had placed her in the stall. He and Sephiroth talked while Mecha shivered.

"Cid, how do you suppose she slipped?" Cid ran his fingers over his white hair.

"That's somethin' we don't really discuss with others Seth..."Sephiroth nodded.

"She said she hears voices sometimes..."

"It's a voice... only one... go comfort her. You saved her life.. I'm sure she is very grateful to ye." Sephiroth nodded to Cid and walked to the young girl who was mumbling in riddles as Jenova cackled in his head. He knelt and placed a hand on one of hers. The black leather partial finger gloves on his hand making contact with her skin. He felt her hand tense under his. She obviously wasn't in her right mind at the time. Jared wandered in and sat down, followed by Jordan. They sat down and looked to Mecha. Jordan and Jared watched as Sephiroth lifted her and put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. Sephiroth obviously wanted her not to distress over the voice in her head that was bothering her so much. Jared took a hand and patted it and Jordan patted her hand after Jared and set it in her lap.

(Kill them all...)

'Stop it..'

(Do you think these children will show mercy upon you? Do you think the parents will?)

'At least I would have proven that I am not all bad...'Jared and Jordan soon left as they had arrived at Mideel's island. Sephiroth left her alone soon after as she looked sleepy to go sit in a chair in the briefing room. He paused at the door, hearing Cloud and Barret talking within.

"That girl needs manners!"

"Barret she's doing what she thinks is best!"

"Cloud. I done had it with her smart ass ways...maybe I'll give 'er back to that crazy man for ya!"

"Barret!"

"He seems to like screwin with her genes..."

"Maybe that's why she hears Jenova in her head. It makes Sephiroth seem not so bad anymore."

"She'll turn out jes' like 'im! Jes ya watch 'er Cloud! Ya can't trust 'er for a minute!" Sephiroth moved back to Mecha and sat near her deep in thought.

'So she hears Jenova too.. that explains the outburst when I met her..' Mecha looked at him as he thought. Jenova was quiet for once letting the poor man and the poor girl have a break from her.

"Seth?" he didn't answer as he wasn't paying attention to anything. She got up and poked him gently. He snapped his hand out and grabbed her wrist. He locked his hand in a vice-like grip upon it before he realized where he was. He released her immediately and began to stutter in apology for his actions. She backed back to where she was before and looked at his glowing eyes and rubbing her wrist.

"I'm so sorry lady Mecha!"

"She's gotten to you too hasn't she.." he pretended not to know what she was talking about. "Jenova... I hear her talking to someone else now ... she calls them Sephiroth... who is Sephiroth?" he patted the ground beside him. So she didn't know who he was before. She moved closer to him and sat beside him. He patted her hand absently.

"Haven't they told you? Cloud and all of the people you know actually killed him you know..." Mecha blinked and watched him as he adjusted the pair of glasses on his face.

'I always wondered why this strange group was together.' she shook her head signing that she didn't know.

"They probably will sooner or later." She crossed her arms and stared at the floor.

"What does it matter... they will never tell me. They've told the others, but not me..." she moved to get up, but he took hold of her wrist, gently this time, and held her there.

When she turned her face towards him, he replied, "Maybe there is a reason they won't tell you." her blue eye focused on one of his gray ones. He stood up and she followed his eye to standing and he released her wrist.

"Maybe..." she watched him and the eye that wasn't covered was visibly angered. She wasn't angry with him, but the yawn that erupted in both of their heads. Then her angered look relaxed as silence ensued.

"I swear she's going down," they both muttered. After they both said it Mecha stared at him and he followed suit. She shook her head.

"Are you ok lady Mecha?"

"I'll be fi-," the ship rumbled and Mecha fell into the straw. Sephiroth braced himself as Cid yelled for everyone to hold onto something. Cid yelled once again.

"Brace for impact into the area of land near Mideel!" the sound of everyone grabbing onto something, then the crash. Mecha who hadn't found anything to hold onto, grabbed the doorframe of the Choco-stall as she slipped through it. She winced and one of her hands slipped, but managed to hang on with the other. She swung and braced for the impact of slamming into the wall as she swung towards it. Sephiroth heard the bang of her feet landing on the wall as the nose of the ship stuck into the ground and the ship tilted slightly. Mecha's hand disappeared before the ship stopped sliding and he heard her booted feet leave the wall as the ship turned onto it's side then the slam of them landing on the metal below. She ship finally stilled and he heard the bangs of Mecha's boots on the metal hull running towards the bridge. The sound of her running stopped with a bang and what seemed like an eternity before another was heard.

"Uncle Cid! Nanaki!" Came her cry. Both were injured by saving Barret's daughter, Marline, and Tifa. Nanaki opened his good eye.

"Mecha... you're alright..."

"Yeah... I can handle myself sometimes... Now it's my turn to take care of everyone." She dug in her pack and dug out an elixir. She poured it in her hand a little at a time and let him lick it out of her hand. Soon he stood. "Can you give Cid and anyone who needs it an Elixir?"

Nanaki nodded and she gave Nanaki the elixirs and gave one to Cid and bade him to drink it. Nanaki held the bottle up with his nose in Cid's mouth as Cid drank the elixir. Mecha ran out and jumped down to the side hull. She found a ladder and threw it up to Cid and everyone in the bridge area. She packed another on her back. And climbed the floor to where Cloud and Barret were. They opened the door and she pushed up the ladder.

"Here... use it... I have to go see about Seth..." with that she moved across the vertical floor towards the Choco-stall. She reached out a hand to get inside, when Sephiroth walked up to the door.

"I'm alright... go see about everyone else." Mecha grinned.

"Already done Seth Quicksilver." He rubbed his head.

"Is that so?" Mecha blinked.

"C'mon. You have to get out of there..." Sephiroth shook his head.

"I'll stay here.."

"Seth! Come on! The ship isn't going to hold!" she screamed. Everyone heard what she said and got out of the ship quickly.

"Maybe I can be released from what plagues me..."

"You can't escape it by death!"

"Please, leave me here..."

"I'm not leaving until you come!" Sephiroth blinked. His decision was tough. Stay and die and cost a life, which Jenova wanted, or go with her and save her from death, because of how much she cared about anyone. Including those she barely knew at all. She looked very hurt. Her hand was stretched out and part of the hull above her head was coming off. He snapped his arm out and pulled her inside the stall as the piece snapped loose falling below. He didn't realize at first but he had accidentally used too much strength and thrown her against the wall. She was upside down and her eyes were clenched shut. All of her hair was fanned out underneath her and the hair that covered the left side of her face was lying on the floor too. Another piece fell and Mecha didn't stir.

'I have to get her out of here...' he stepped over to her and picked her up. Pieces of hull were beginning to crack and fall faster than before. There wasn't a lot of time. He put her over his shoulder and jumped from the Choco-stall. The hull that was on the ground cracked under the slam of his booted feet into it. Pain lanced through is entire body, causing him to halfway double over. He couldn't let Jenova claim him now. Not now.

(EYHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)

'Shut-up...' he ran to the only place on the ship that wasn't cracking apart yet. The bridge. He quickly climbed the ladder Mecha had set up for the others and ran to the window. He began to kick it as hard as he could. It began to crack a little as the bridge began to crack a little. The others outside looked at each other and started to look for Mecha. She usually joined them outside somewhere nearby, but when they called she didn't answer. The window cracked further and fell out as the rest of the ship collapsed.

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"Oooohhh..." Mecha opened her eyes to find herself on a hospital bed. And something white was blocking her view from her left eye. She began to sit up, but was gently pushed back down by a doctor. She obeyed the unspoken command and rested back against the pillows.

"We see you are awake now. Can you tell us your name?"

"..." she raised a hand to her head not remembering much at all. All she could remember was that something was urgent.

"Well, you had a nasty concussion."

"Uhhhnn.." she realized that there was a bandage on her head and over her left eye. She heard Cloud's voice and the doctor left her to go see Cloud.

"Is my wife ok?"

"Yes Mr. Strife. She'll be all right... why don't you go see her?" she heard the footsteps come toward the side room, but stop.

"Oh... Doctor... one of our party is wondering if you've found Mecha yet..."

"Tell your party I'm sorry. I haven't found anyone with the name Mecha yet. But your party is welcome to visit your wife."

"I'll bring them." With that the footsteps that were coming retreated out of the building. She turned her head painfully to her right and saw a brunette woman with a few bandages of her own partially sitting up on her own bed.

"Ti-fa..." the brunette turned and looked at Mecha.

"How do you know my name?" Mecha turned her head and stared at the ceiling. Soon several pairs of feet thumped into the small clinic. She heard the doctor ask their names and fell asleep before Vincent and Aeris announced theirs. Tifa gasped. Vincent and Aeris were here. No doubt Vincent was angry about Mecha's disappearance. Vincent had put on his old cloak and cloth to come here. They all filed to Tifa's bed totally ignoring Mecha who had passed into the land of unconsciousness.

"Are you ok Tifa?" Cloud asked. Tifa nodded letting everyone know she was ok. She forgot about Mecha ever saying her name.

"Ya sure ya ok?" Barret said quickly.

"Yes Barret," Tifa replied.

"And the baby?" Cloud asked. Tifa smiled. Cloud knew his child was ok then.

Aeris sniffed and Vincent drew her close to his side as he spoke, "Mecha should have been found by now..." they all began to talk about Mecha drawing from asking Tifa if she was ok. They soon got too loud, by way of Aeris beginning to wail, and woke Mecha who groaned in protest at the loudness of the wail. Seth looked to her as she forced herself up slightly. The doctor rushed in and gently pushed her back down.

"You must be a little quieter... the young miss needs her rest." Mecha grumbled at the doctor a little, but obeyed once again. Vincent looked to Mecha and told Cid to take care of Aeris for a minute. He walked out to the doctor. They talked about the young woman next to Tifa. Everyone listened to them talk quietly.

"Well, she doesn't know her own name. And no one has come to ask about anyone who was missing except your Mecha, but that child doesn't fit your description at all Mr. Valentine..."

"I see, may I speak with her?"

"I'm afraid she hasn't done anything, but groan every time she wakes up."

"I think I can speak with her. I can understand groans anyway as my daughter does them."

"You are welcome to try." Vincent's footsteps came a couple of steps, but stopped, "Who brought her in?"

"Reeve did, but he won't be back for a few days... he left soon as he brought her in." A moment of silence before Vincent's steps traced over the floor. He walked into the room and to Mecha who was looking at them all and they were staring back. With the exception of Nanaki.

"What's going on in here?" Vincent asked in his cool voice.

"Tifa told us what she did before we came and she did it again," Nanaki said.

"What was that?"

"Tifa." Nanaki stated. Vincent ushered everyone out of the room except for Aeris, who he held at his side with his good hand. Aeris put her hand over top of Vincent's cold claw and looked to the girl lying in the bed before them. Vincent looked at Mecha, who looked back. It seemed they were studying each other to someone on the outside such as Aeris, for they never moved their mouths or anything, but they were actually speaking, Vincent with his red eyes, and Mecha with the one that wasn't covered. This is what they spoke:

-Who are you?- Vincent asked

'I don't know' Mecha replied

-How did you get here?-

'I don't know that either...'

-Is there anything you know that you can tell me?-

'I think so...'

-What is it?-

'Urgency... as if something was happening that needed to be done right then and there... fear... as if someone was about to die... then waking up here...'

-Sounds like you have amnesia young one.-

'Ask the doctor if I can get up now... I don't want to be here anymore. I have to find out who I am and why this voice speaks to me constantly telling me I need to kill...'

-I have something I need to do... you rest... You'll need it..-

Then the conversation was over. Vincent led Aeris outside to the others silently. They went to the inn they were staying in and after Vincent sent Aeris into their room to sleep. He walked back to the others.

"I need to speak with this Seth. Alone..." the group nodded and walked off leaving Sephiroth behind. He hadn't spoken in the weeks after Mecha's disappearance. Vincent turned to the window and Sephiroth saw for the first time the white in his hair. "Tell me honestly Seth... what happened before you lost Mecha..."

Sephiroth lowered his head and began to relive the moment. He spoke low and controlled although he was grief ridden about losing her, "She had taken care of everyone and came to where I was. I walked to the door of the Choco-stall I had awoken in just moments before.." he told of what happened next, "After I had gotten her to the bridge which wasn't falling apart yet I began to kick the window. It had just broken and I jumped out, when the ship collapsed and a piece of the hull struck me in the head. I fell losing my grip on Mecha. After that I don't know where she went..." Vincent turned to Sephiroth.

"Don't get your hopes up..." Sephiroth looked at him and nodded. "Goodnight Seth..." Vincent entered his room after that. Sephiroth walked into his, battling with Jenova squealing in joy that Mecha was 'put away' he grumbled and swore he'd kill Jenova if it was the last thing he did.

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Mecha lay awake on the bed for the seventh night in a month since she had awakened a few months ago. She had been allowed to get up for short periods of time and had now remembered her name. Vincent had never come back and she felt alone. She got up and walked to the bathroom that connected to the office area of the clinic. She stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair fell over the red stained, white bandage around her head and over the left side as it always did. The nurse had been gracious enough to brush out her hair and wrap a bandage around it so that it wouldn't tangled. It was wrapped up and then down and tied at the bottom of her hair leaving a tuft about half a foot free. The rest that couldn't be put in the bandage that held her hair hung wildly over her head. She flicked her blue eye's gaze to just below the bandage she touched her face and noticed that the one who had still-spoken with her looked like her. She looked at the cloth and cloak the doctor said were hers. She touched them and put the cloak on. She held the cloth that was to go around her head in her hand.

"Vincent..." there was a soft knock behind her and she turned to see the little girl she had made friends with at the door.

"M-M-Mechie," she said in her soft voice, "I-I-I h-have t-to g-go..." Mecha quickly removed the cloak and apologized and then exited quickly. The little girl was soon done and Mecha took her back to her bed. After she had gotten the little girl settled in, she wandered to the door and lay her head against the glass. She was alone, she didn't know anything about herself except her first name and she couldn't remember her family. The doctor said she would be able to go as soon as tomorrow and as late as next week. She went to her bed soon after and fell asleep on her side.


	3. Emerald and Mecha

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"Cid," Vincent said to his old friend, "I can't help feeling Mecha is in Mideel." They were cruising in the fixed Highwind over the ocean to get to the Golden Saucer.

"Vincent... Please... We all miss lil' Mecha, but we ain't spendin our time mopin around. We are out lookin for her." Vincent's red eyes flashed. Cloud wandered in then seeing Vincent's anger.

"Cid, enough, that is his daughter we are searching for... give him the courtesy of being kinder about it." Vincent silently walked from the room to find Sephiroth. He was in the Choco-stall as he was a lot of the time.

"Still miss her?" Vincent asked him.

"I should have done more..." he replied. His hair had turned to a dark gray and was lightening all the time. Soon they would find out. Soon it would be all over. "I promised I'd help her find out who Sephiroth is..."

"There was a reason we didn't tell her Seth.. I know she's told you about Jenova by now."

"I would like to know so that I don't blow it for her."

"When we found out that Mecha heard the voice of Jenova we were afraid. Aeris and I... well we asked the group not to tell her when it came time to tell the other children. We feared for her sanity. That and maybe she could find out whether it was him or Jenova that did all of those things." Sephiroth nodded. Jared soon walked in, still upset about Mecha's loss.

"Take a nap Jared," Sephiroth said to the poor boy. Jared nodded and lay down in the straw.

"Tell me if we find Mecha ok?" Vincent nodded to Yuffie's son. Vincent wandered from the stall up into the rain with Nanaki.

"It's been six months Vincent."

"I know, how much longer before we find her?"

"I don't really know Vincent, but I hope it's soon. For everyone's sake."

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"There you go Mecha." Mecha touched her head and felt over the scar that had formed above her eye.

"Will it go away Dr. Morris?"

"I don't think it will Mecha." Mecha nodded solemnly and fastened her cloth on her head and put her hair in its original way. The doctor had gotten used to the strangeness of the two different colored eyes. Mecha wandered outside into the sunny day and caught a ship to Costa Del Sol. The ride across the ocean was smooth until Emerald weapon popped up and searched for a meal. Mecha groaned and a man with shaggy black hair with a bandana tied around it ran up on deck and proceeded to fight alone. It was Reeve! She swiped up the nearest weapon, which happened to be her sword and ran towards the monster with the sword out to her side. Emerald powered up for an attack to kill Reeve as she ran. Reeve raised his fists and began to call forth Knights of the Round. Each knight brought forth their attack on Emerald. Mecha reached the giant green weapon of the planet as the summon was ending and brought in her own attack. She snickered as her blade cut through Emerald's chest area, stopping his upcoming attack. Reeve saw the blade stuck in the giant weapon and thought that KOTR had left a sword in Emerald. He saw someone in a red cloak run up to the weapon to retrieve the sword as Emerald retreated into the ocean.

"Vincent!" he screamed as Mecha savagely pulled her sword from Emerald and leaped on deck. She sat down and watched the giant green creature lower itself into the sea once more.

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Cloud was with Cid on the bridge when Emerald attacked an unsuspecting ship. They watched a small battle ensue between Reeve and the giant creature. Then the creature began to retreat and a person leapt upon it and savagely ripped a weapon from the living weapon's chest and leap back onto the ship.

"VINCENT!" he and Cid yelled. Vincent ran to the bridge.

"What?" Cloud pointed to the ship. Vincent looked at the ship with his red eyes. "So? What about it?"

"Emerald attacked the ship." Vincent stared at him in disbelief, "and Reeve is aboard."

"That doesn't tell me where Mecha is Cloud.."

"It might."

"How..."

"Moments after Emerald surfaced it began to retreat. Reeve couldn't have done that so fast." Vincent stared at the ship.

"Follow it then.. I want to see who made Emerald retreat so fast."

The Highwind landed just outside of Costa Del Sol as the ship docked. The group moved to the docks quickly and watched the people come off the ship.

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Reeve had watched Mecha all the way to Costa Del Sol since Emerald retreated. She climbed up to where he couldn't see her any longer until she saw him walk down the ramp. She came from her hiding place and exited the ship. Only to come face to face with none other than Vincent. She quickly stepped around his right side and he grabbed her with his good hand. She cast a blue eye at him in a glare.

"Don't glare at me like that Mecha." She softened.

"I'm sorry..."

"Everyone has worried about you. At least you can show a little courtesy and say hello."

"Hello everyone.." Vincent looked worried at his child.

"I'm taking you home.." Mecha looked afraid. "You are my daughter..." Mecha then relaxed. And almost let her tail slip out. Vincent whispered in her ear about the tail rule and she tightened around her waist. Aeris walked into town finished with the current bout of tears. She looked at Mecha and began to cry again. Vincent took Aeris's hand and beckoned for Mecha to come. He called to Cid to take the Highwind to Nibelheim and wait for them. Sephiroth tried to follow, but Cloud stopped him. He looked to Cloud who shook his head.

"It's just them on this walk Seth..." Cloud moved his hand and Sephiroth watched them walk away. Jared moved beside him and watched too. Cid, Nanaki, Cloud, Tifa, Jordan, Reeve, Yuffie and Barret watched them.

"Jared seems a little different since meeting Mecha," Yuffie commented on her son.

"I don't see the look in Seth eyes that was there when I first met him," Cloud followed in the comments.

"Mecha doesn't shy away from this new person," Cid noted

"And I've noticed she almost let out her tail around them once," Tifa stated, "She must be getting used to them."

"But mind you Mecha has been missing for months," Nanaki was catching the logic, "And you noticed how silent they were the whole time... except for when Vincent spoke to them."

Barret hmpfed and said, "Still can't trust Mecha for shi'!" everyone looked at Barret quickly as he continued, "You know that critter in her head Je-." Cloud slapped his hand over Barret's mouth and got this weird sweatdrop look on his face with the biggest grin he could manage.

"Yeah critter in her head, we all know that Barret," Cid interjected.

"All except Jordan and Jared," Seth uttered abruptly as Jenova cackled to someone other than himself. Reeve was lost in the conversation and walked out to the Highwind quietly. Cid followed suit and soon everyone followed. All except Sephiroth, who noticed Mecha's sword a few feet from the ship. He picked it up and walked aboard.

"Cloud..." he said. Cloud looked at him. There was a hint of fear in his eyes as he looked at Sephiroth.

(He's going to kill you now Sephiroth!)

'It won't matter! I'll have died happily!' but it calmed as he saw only the Seth appearance of him.

"What is it Seth?" Sephiroth held the sword to Cloud.

"Mecha left this." Cloud took the sword warily. And walked to Cid to tell him that Mecha left her weapon behind. The engines rumbled and the ship lifted off the ground.

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The airship flew over Vincent, Mecha, and Aeris. It landed in front of them and Cloud ran out carrying a buster sword. The sight was familiar, except for the way he was dressed and the short length of his buzzed hair. He ran to them and gave the sword to Mecha.

"Don't forget your sword Mecha," he panted, before running back to the ship. Mecha blinked and moved the sword to her back and hooked it on its pegs. Aeris looked at Mecha for a moment before releasing Vincent long enough to untie her hair from its' ribbon causing it to tumble down her back.

"Mecha, sweetie?" Mecha looked at her mother.

"Yes Mom?" that caused Aeris to smile. Aeris walked to Mecha and tied the ribbon in her hair near the cloth on her head. Mecha blinked at that and reached up a hand to her mother's hand as she tied the ribbon in her hair. She lay her hand across Aeris's as Aeris finished. Aeris took Mecha's hand and Mecha looked away trying not to release the tears in her eyes. She remembered now. Aeris was her mother. She hadn't been very clear when she called Aeris mom, but now she was. Vincent saw this action and moved next to Aeris who was rubbing her head in confusion.

"Aeris.."

"Yes, Vincent?" Vincent put his arm around Aeris.

"She remembers that you are her mother." Aeris blinked.

"A little action helped her remember?" Vincent nodded and smirked.

"Remember when she was little?" Aeris blinked, so he continued. "You used to tie her hair in lavender ribbons. She looked like a miniature you." Mecha released Aeris's hand and rubbed her face.

"Mother..." Aeris put a hand on Mecha's shoulder to comfort her, which it did just a little.

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Sephiroth was looking out the window of the airship as they landed near Nibelheim. It was days later and they had already decided that the children were going to deal with what perils lie ahead. Sephiroth sighed. They had taken Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, and Barret to their respective homes after the decision was made. Marlene tapped a foot restlessly on the deck of the ship.

"Why do we have to wait for ol' red eyes and his family!" she cried exasperated. Cid cut a glance at the younger girl.

"Because... we are deciding who is the leader of the young people! Vincent has an important mission for all of us!" Vincent and Aeris strode up alone to the party.

"I have decided..." he said tiredly.

"Decided what?" Nanaki asked. Everyone turned to Vincent.

"The strongest will lead..." Aeris took the opportunity to go inside the mansion.

"How will we find that out?" Vincent cut his eyes to the speaker, who turned out to be Jordan.

"Mecha is rounding up monsters as we speak... they will be chasing her. She has already expressed that she doesn't want to be the leader. She thinks it will be unfair to the rest of you..." everyone nodded except Sephiroth.

"I don't want to be leader either," he muttered. Vincent cast a red-eyed glare at him.

"You have to compete Seth. There is not a choice." Sephiroth sighed and waited for Mecha. She soon appeared with the monsters tailing her. But only Vincent knew that she was there at the head of a few thousand Nibel wolves. Vincent pointed at the oncoming flood of Nibel wolves. "Don't kill the one in the red cloak!" everyone knew what he wanted and immediately charged the wolves. Sephiroth stood back and Cid shoved him into the wolves, forcing him to fend for himself. His eyes flashed once in anger, but he realized that a few wolves were pouncing at him. He spun a gun from his side and shot a wolf down. Jared finished off a wolf and Jordan downed one too after Sephiroth shot down his second. The fight in the thousands of wolves would last a few hours while all 3 fought to fend themselves from being killed and eaten.

Mecha lost her power of wolven form after the fight had raged on those few hours. She had been running amongst the wolf brethren and she formed into her more human form in the midst of the wolves. Her cry of pain rang out and all 3 heard. Jordan was immediately taken down and Cid rushed in to save the boy. He finally dragged Jordan from the flood of wolves all scratched and beaten. Jared fought to get to Mecha, but he soon was down and dragged from the wolves. Sephiroth however heard the cries and knew it was risk his disguise or Vincent's daughter. The wolves were now beginning to focus their attention on the fallen girl. Thunder rumbled in the distance as he brought his hand in an arc and Nibel wolves for seven feet at his side flew into the air cut through. He cleared the wolves around Mecha quickly. Vincent saw this and narrowed his eyes.

"THE DAMN SON OF A BITCH!" he cried and plunged into the wolves to get to his daughter before Sephiroth did. He was a little late as Sephiroth hiked the unconscious girl onto his shoulder. Most of the wolves left scattered and Sephiroth carried the girl to Vincent, who glared at Sephiroth, until the unconscious Mecha was placed into his arms. Vincent looked at Sephiroth's left hand at the Masamune.

"So now you know.." Vincent glared in hate at Sephiroth.

"Yes, but I don't understand... why when you had our trust did you act differently?" Jenova decided to interject at that point.

(So now they know! Kill them! Kill them now!)

The howling Jenova put into his head rang in his ears until he had to cover them. "No!" he cried, "Jenova, I won't hurt them again! Leave me alone!" Vincent blinked and everyone looked. Mecha began to awaken, having regained enough energy "I wish to be rid of you!" he ran slipping a little in the grass. Mecha blinked.

"Is he ok?"

"I don't think so..." Mecha extracted herself from Vincent's arms and ran after Sephiroth calling for Seth. She heard Jenova's cackling cries about going to the northern crater. She stumbled over the rocks in the field as she tore after Sephiroth. Rain began to fall heavily. Mecha was blinded and still ran after Sephiroth calling.


	4. Seth is Sephiroth

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Sephiroth heard someone call for Seth as the rain began to fall harder than before. He stopped and listened to the cries. Soon, he saw Mecha's rain blinded form stumble into view and slip in the mud. She yelled for Seth and got up from the mud. She put her hands before her and swiped the air around herself. She came within inches of his chest. It was then that he realized the poor girl couldn't see in the thick rain. His visibility was cut too, but not as badly as hers. He removed the glasses as Mecha took another swipe of the air. Her voice called again as he pulled the wet shirt from himself and looked to Mecha. She stopped swiping at the air and sat down in defeat.

"Mecha what are you doing?" he asked as he put the shirt over her head to let her see. He kneeled down and waited for her reply.

"You ran away..."

"You shouldn't have followed me..." he put a hand on her shoulder.

"But Seth!"

"Sephiroth..." he said softly.

"Huh? The one Jenova keeps screaming to?" he nodded as the last bits of his hair turned platinum again.

"Let's get you back to the others or in some shelter. He looked around and noticed that they weren't far from Cosmo canyon. He picked Mecha up and set her on her feet. He led her to the small town. She followed quietly and went to the Inn after he did. She began to dig in her pocket for the amount of Gil to pay for a room, but Sephiroth put the amount down first.

(You idiot!)

'Shut-up Jenova,' they both said hearing one another say so to the voice. He then heard Mecha say to Jenova, 'like I care what you call me... I'll kill you myself if it means destroying this vessel of a body...'

"Come on Mecha let's get some rest.." Mecha looked at him and he led her up to the room had paid for. She noticed the one bed and a couch and quickly made for the couch after pulling off her boots. She lay Sephiroth's shirt over the only heating source in the room and sneezed heavily. Sephiroth snatched a sheet and pushed it into Mecha's hands. She blinked at it and he told her to go in the bathroom and dress in that. She shook her head, but he narrowed his gray eyes at her and she ran into the bathroom and quickly switched her wet clothing for the sheet. She sat on the floor and didn't move. Sephiroth knocked softly.

"What?" she glared at the door.

"Are you all changed in there?" his voice was quiet and patient.

"Yeh... so?" she turned her gaze at the floor. The door opened slowly and Sephiroth looked in at her. She looked up and saw the trademark Mako-glowing green eyes. She pressed against the wall not paying attention to the fact that he had switched his pants for a towel. He noticed she hadn't moved the cloth from her head.

"Mecha..." he kneeled down and moved his hands to the cloth to remove it from her head. She never moved her eyes from his, as nothing in her brain would let her do so. The cloth freed from her head and Sephiroth hung it over the towel rack. He moved to her cloak, pants, and shirt and hung them over the shower bar. He looked near the floor and noticed something that looked like a drenched and potentially dangerous animal near Mecha. He left the room and walked to get his gun from the other room.

(Hahahaha! He thinks it's a dangerous animal!)

Mecha looked afraid and moved her tail behind herself as she heard a bullet slip into the barrel of his gun. He walked back in and noticed that the "Creature" was gone. He went to set the gun down, but he saw the dark spot of her tail under the sheet and quickly reached to Mecha and grabbed it. Mecha squealed in pain as he gripped her tail, which surprised him, causing him to release her tail. She rubbed her poor tail as she looked at him.

"Never seen a tail before!"

"That is your... tail?" Sephiroth was genuinely surprised.

"Yes it is dummy!" he smirked at the insult and patted her head. He grabbed a towel from the counter and handed it to her.

"Dry your tail then.." he left and she dried her tail. She yawned and wandered toward the couch where he was sleeping already. She saw him and moved to the bed. She climbed on it and curled up. She soon was asleep and dreaming.

Mecha awoke with a cry. She got up and moved to her clothes that were now dry and changed into them. She walked by the sleeping Sephiroth. Something possessed her to stop and look at him and that she did. The moonlight peeking in the window hit his sleeping form and caressed it in gentle shadows. She turned and walked to the window and climbed out. She dropped to the ground and walked to the Cosmo candle. The bright bonfire was lit again after the rain stopped. She sat in front of it quietly and thought. Sephiroth had awoken when she stopped and looked at him. He had smirked noticing the way her eyes had slid over his seemingly asleep frame and note the build of his body without realizing it, before slipping out of the window. He had gotten up and moved to the window still only wearing the towel. He chuckled to himself briefly and watched the firelight wash over her face and thought it somehow caressed the curves of her cheeks and the fine points of her nose. She yawned tiredly and curled up next to the fire. He watched her lazily watch the fire, before he turned to pick up his now dry pants. He slipped them on and walked out to Mecha.

"Mecha," his voice uttered softly, causing her to look at him half-asleep.

"Hmm?" was her sleepy reply.

"What are you doing out here?" he picked her up and leaned her on his shoulder. She groaned sleepily in protest, but made no move to get away. He carried her past a few men, who were coming out to try something unpleasant to the half-asleep female. They saw Sephiroth and walked to the candle and sat down and act as if that was all they were going to do. He carried her up the stairs and lay her down on the couch and pushed her hair back from her face so he could see it all. He noticed that the cloth wasn't on her head, but still in the bathroom drying along with the cloak. He felt the scar on her head near her left eye and traced it slowly. She opened her eyes at him and saw him with both for the first time. He smirked and noticed that her eyes weren't both blue. One was the color of Vincent's red eyes. He made a slight noise as if he were laughing for a split second.

(Sephiroth! What are you doing!)

He told Jenova to shut up again and blinked at the sleepy girl. "Can you stay in here now?" Mecha nodded and yawned. He plucked the blanket from the floor where it had fallen and lay it gently over Mecha. He walked to the bed and lay upon it and soon fell asleep.

Mecha sat up after he had fallen asleep and got off of the couch. She took the blanket and covered Sephiroth with it, who snapped his arm out and grabbed her wrist, but not hurting her. He mumbled something and pulled the surprised girl into his arms. He obviously thought she was a plush toy. She made a face, but yawned and fell asleep too. Sephiroth moved his position and dragged Mecha over onto his chest. He then woke up and realized who he had grabbed, and turned a little red. He moved the sleeping form of Mecha to his side and patted her head gently. He figured he had grabbed her when she walked over to lay the blanket over him. He turned his back to her and fell asleep. She curled up and stayed that way until Sephiroth shook her awake the next morning.

"Wake up sleepy.." she woke up and yawned seeing she was curled up. She got up and climbed from the bed and walked to the bathroom and stared in the mirror. She looked at her red eye as she had never done before and touched the vision of it in the mirror. Sephiroth came in behind her and watched her do this. She turned to look at him and noticed his hair wasn't black. She shook her head and cast her gaze to his gaze in the mirror. He felt a twinge of something within and Jenova screamed at him.

(You think that will ever happen! You are stupid! She's created for something far too good for your cells!)

This hurt him deep inside and Jenova knew it. Mecha somehow sensed his distress and turned to him leaning on the bathroom counter.

"You ok Sephiroth?" she reached out and took her cloak and cloth into her hands. She began to fasten both around herself as the conversation between Jenova and Sephiroth developed.

(She cares for Jared and Seth! Not you Sephiroth!)

'She got to know me through Seth.. I'm the same man..'

(But you are different. She knows that you were the evil before she was born. Supposedly dead.)

"Sephiroth?" he looked at her and he couldn't mask that Jenova was cutting him deeply.

She stepped closer and patted his arm. His muscles tightened at the strange touch of friendship from Mecha. She felt this and moved her hand away. His thought lingered on it for what seemed an eternity of slight joy. A touch. Something gentle as the way Mecha had lain her hand upon his arm with each gentle pat.

Then Mecha spoke once again, "I'll help you with Jenova..."

"I... I can't let you," he stammered. The look that followed cut him deeper than Jenova ever could.

"But I'm already involved in this... she never stops talking... I can hear almost every word... I know of your plans. I know it all Sephiroth... except that you were you when you said you were Seth.." she turned her back to him again and stared into the sink.

"Mecha, please," his voice faltered on each syllable. The rise and fall of her shoulders soon told him that there was something more than being able to just hear Jenova. Something Jenova had hinted herself.

(Go ahead Mecha cry! Cry those lost tears forever!)

Sephiroth was really getting tired of Jenova and her hatred. But nothing could prepare him for what he heard next.

(My rebirth will be complete once the perfect mate has come!)

"Leave me alone..." came the sad whispery reply strait from Mecha's mouth. She raised a hand and wiped her face. "I will destroy you Jenova. Then maybe I can live happily... dad and the group have trained me to fight without dying... I don't need your cells anymore..." Sephiroth stared at the top of Mecha's mirror head with an open mouth. The argument between what he believed to be his mother so long ago and someone he knew only when she hadn't spent those months in the hospital was very confusing to him. He wanted to interject, but didn't know how. Who would he defend? Jenova was manipulative in many ways. One being very clear. The cells within his body.

"Mecha?" her head began to rise very slowly. He watched it rise for what seemed an eternity, before he caught sight of a blue eye. "How could I have known?" she turned to face him.

"You couldn't! No one could!" her face was red and pain filled. "It was to be held until my death! I cannot let this creature take what should be mine away! I have until my next birthday before she is going to force me! I knew it was inevitable! Why else don't I want to be the leader? Because I knew that you guys would have to kill me if the journey takes too long..." She began to exit, by trying to push past him, but he put an arm out to hold her back.

"Mecha, please-."

"Let me go.. "he brought his arm around Mecha and pulled her next to his side.

"I feel as if I have a duty to fulfil.."

"What duty? To stop me from fulfilling my destiny of stopping the rebirth?"

"I'm going to get Jenova.." she looked up at him with the blue eye, her hair had fallen over the left side of her face again. Anger and hurt were mixed into the stress filled look and she pushed past him in the moment of his stunned surprise. He soon heard the sound of booted feet as Mecha crossed the floor, after putting on her boots. The sound of the door opening before he realized what was going on.

"Go get the others, I am going on alone... farewell on your mission Sephiroth to destroy Jenova... may the fate of the planet be with you and help you stop the evil once and for all..." he moved quickly towards the entrance as the door slowly closed.

"Mecha! Wait!" the door closed. He hurriedly dressed himself and threw open the door. He raced from the inn, throwing the key to the Innkeeper. He stopped outside. Mecha wasn't far off, standing at the edge of the town. She turned and looked at him for a moment. A wind blew and lifted her black hair exposing her red eye. Their eyes met for a brief moment before she ran off, cloak flapping behind her. He began to run after her, but was too late. She was gone. "Mecha!"

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Vincent looked out of the door for the fifth time that day. He was becoming more and more furious by the day. Mecha and Sephiroth had been gone for weeks. It was far past time for the mission to begin. He pointed at Jared.

"You are the leader..." Jared blinked, then nodded. Then he, Cid, Jordan, Marlene, and Nanaki began to head out. They went through the town and bean to buy supplies fir the trip. Potions, Hi-Potions, Phoenix Downs, Ethers, and anything useful on the trip in the items shop. Next was the weapons shop. Everyone bought weapons more powerful than they previously owned. A gun for Jared, shuriken for Jordan, a new lance for Cid, gloves for Marlene, and the special hairpin for Nanaki. They soon walked out of Nibelheim and boarded the Highwind.

"How long will it take to get this done?" Jordan inquired of Cid.

"Not sure there Jordy, but we also gotta find Sephiroth and Mecha.." Cid replied hesitantly

"Sephiroth doesn't seem as bad as you were telling us he was like Cid..." Jared noted.

"Yeah... I noticed that. He seemed to be fightin' with himself." Cid got the ship running and all three moved to the deck with Marlene and Nanaki and watched Nibelheim get smaller and smaller.


	5. Emerald and Mecha part 2

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Sephiroth was standing on a cliff not far from Costa Del Sol when the Highwind passed. He watched it land and his trenchcoat flapped in the wind coming from the huge airship. He was dressed in the old Shinra uniform again. He moved towards Costa Del Sol. He happened upon some fireballs feeding on the corpse of a traveler they had just decimated. They would meet a similar fate of the traveler if they messed with him. The fireballs looked up at him and almost charged to fight, but he lifted his sword and it glinted in the dying rays of sunlight. He continued on his way after the fireballs turned from him. He sheathed his sword and walked slowly down the mountain, not really wanting to see everyone again. He knew the red creature could smell him from this far, but he didn't care anymore. Kill him if they wish or not, he had definitely changed. He no longer killed people, but tried to help them. The people hesitantly began to trust him, but it was the hardest thing to see them try to run. He never chased them, for he knew their fears. The fears of that their mothers told them when they were kids. Fears of Sephiroth coming to snatch them away if they weren't good. People soon stopped fleeing, but were still wary. They gave him what he wanted, which was only the information they could supply of Mecha Valentine. Most didn't know, but some did and they warily parted with that. He made his way across the field to Costa Del Sol in deep thought and regiment. He had been pained by Mecha's disappearance more than the rest, because they would doubt him. They wouldn't believe the story he told them no matter how much he had changed. He stepped into the coastal town as Marlene walked up the stairs to her home. He looked to the others and nodded to Jared who walked over to speak.

"Seth- I mean Sephiroth.. have you seen Mecha?" Jared was really worried.

"I haven't. She ran from Cosmo Canyon and disappeared... I hear Jenova telling her things, but I cannot hear Mecha.." the others had wandered over after Jared and blinked at Sephiroth. Nanaki and Cid weren't going to trust him, but were going to give him a fair chance at redeeming himself.

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Mecha stood on the stairs to the beach watching them. She had changed her appearance to a buxom blonde of about 42 for the time being. She had found a way to change her eye color to a deep violet color. She had hidden her cloak and cloth and placed a headband of pink into her hair. She was wearing a pink dress and she thought of getting near Sephiroth to see what was going on. It wouldn't have been easy to do so unless she revealed herself, but she could walk by. She was posing as Barret's newest girlfriend. The man really had a problem with being alone now a days. She moved her left foot to begin to walk. She looked at the pink shoes on her feet.

'Well here goes...' she said to herself.

She began to walk when she heard the exasperated Sephiroth yell, "I don't care what she will look like! I want to see Mecha again!" that caused her to stop and blink. She shook her head slightly and changed her plan. She wandered to Sephiroth and gently tapped him. When he spun around and glared at her she glared back.

"Dun stare at me like that," she said.

"What do you want?" he glared at her.

"You may see this... Mecha if you have patience and stop screaming at everything dearie."

"Like I care what you say..." she decided to cut the act now. Her voice became low and controlled and thick with hostility.

"You would if you only knew..." Sephiroth stared down at her. "This is why Mecha has disappeared and she will stay gone..."

"How do you know!" Cid yelled. She stared at Cid

"Dearie... I know everything..." with that she stalked out of Costa Del Sol. She walked around the building and shifted her appearance around a little.

A little red headed girl in a yellow dress ran into town and past the group onto the docks squealing with joy. Jared decided to have a little fun like the little red head. He chased the little girl to the docks and caught her before she could jump onto the ship.

"Hewwo!" the little girl cheerfully greeted Jared. "I Karie!" Jared grinned.

"I'm Jared." Sephiroth wandered up to Jared and smiled at the little girl.

"I'm Sephiroth..." Karie squealed and held her hands towards Sephiroth, who blinked in surprise.

"C'mon mistew Sefiwof! Hold Karie!" Jared put the little girl into his hands. Sephiroth stared at the child in his hands, who stared back. They stared at each other for some time, before a familiar grin crossed the little girls face.

"Karie has to go on ship! Mommy waiting in Junon!" Sephiroth chuckled quietly.

"I'll take you," he said. Jared blinked. Cid and Nanaki wandered over and onto the ship. Jared followed after Sephiroth took Karie onto the ship. Sephiroth opted for a room alone after he put the girl down and she raced off. Karie became older and went up on deck to lean on the railing, letting the long yellow dress flap in the wind. Sephiroth had changed his clothes into the jeans he had worn when he saw Mecha last and began to search for the little girl. Jared looked at the redhead quietly as Sephiroth called for Karie the little girl. Karie smiled as Emerald Weapon popped out of the ocean. She laughed at the huge green creature as it roared and everyone scrambled below. She heard Jared yell at her to go below. She turned and grinned.

"Like hell I'm gonna miss this fight!" the red hair had a hint of something familiar and her right hand reached into the air as Sephiroth came on the deck to fight. She glanced at him still grinning "Nice to see you join us." Her hand clamped into a fist as a sword began to materialize into her hand. It glinted with a mythril glow as she spun to the huge creature.

"PLEASE!" Jared cried, "Please get below!"

"If you insist but first.." the sword finished materializing and she tried to lift it with the weaker arms of this form. "Damnit! Fine I'm going!" she dragged the sword off below deck. She grumbled and she knew what she had to do. She lost all other forms and became herself. She hefted her sword and threw it above towards Emerald. She leaped from below and slammed onto the deck poised low. The loud bang of her yellow shoed feet on the deck was masked by the roar of pain emerald let out as the sword embedded itself it the side of the creature.

"Damnit!" Sephiroth yelled spinning around to yell at the woman who they told to go below before, but saw someone new. Mecha, who was grinning. She bolted past Sephiroth and leapt onto Emerald to remove her weapon as Nanaki cut Emerald by leaping into it. Jared and Jordan then released part of their arsenal of grenades onto Emerald. It impacted as Mecha leapt away with her sword. She kicked a grenade at Emerald causing it to bury itself into the wound from her sword. She counted down as she fell. Her hand slapped around the rail as the grenade exploded ripping open Emerald's scaly hide. Jared and Jordan unleashed attacks on the planet's implement of destruction. Sephiroth unleashed a few attacks of his own as he reached over the rail and snatched Mecha's hand. She clamped onto his wrist with her left hand as Emerald slapped her with an attack of it's own. Sephiroth pulled up and she dug in her pocket and held up a summon materia.

"Knights of the Round! Attack the wound of Emerald Weapon!" she managed to stand long enough for the attack to commence, before she fell into a death-like sleep. The weapon roared with the powerful attacks the summon discharged upon the giant green beast. It retreated into the sea and the ship pitched to the left violently and Mecha began to slide from the ship. Cid, Jared and Jordan snatched a rail and Sephiroth braced himself, grabbing Mecha by the back of the skirt of the yellow dress, which Mecha hadn't had time to change. He lifted her up to lean on his shoulder until the ship would subside to normal. He looked at her face as he had her held against him to keep her from getting hurt beyond repair of a Phoenix Down. The ship soon stopped pitching and Sephiroth administered Mecha the Phoenix Down. She began to come around slowly. She sat up and her eyes focused on the 4 male faces standing over a female nearby. Jared kneeled down and pressed a hand to her head. He couldn't tell and he said something to Sephiroth, who kneeled down and placed his hand on her throat he shook his head. Jared asked him something and Sephiroth placed Jared's hand on the girl's neck and Jared paled as Sephiroth spoke.

Nanaki licked at the girls hand and Mecha tried to say, "I'm right here guys.." but no sound came as her lips formed the words. They moved from the girl they were over and Mecha gasped.

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Sephiroth stared down at the still form of Mecha.

"That Phoenix Down should have worked..." he said dejectedly.

"Well we'd best take her to Vincent..." Jordan said calmly.

"And get killed by his fury?" Jordan paled even further.

"No," Nanaki began, "I have seen her do this before." Everyone stared at Nanaki.

"What are you talkin bout ya red dog!" Cid cried rudely.

"I am not a red dog," Nanaki stated in annoyance, "I'm talking about Mecha. She seems to be dead right?" Cid nodded.

"Yeh."

"But she may not be. All I'm saying is not to go to Vincent yet..." Sephiroth had listened to Nanaki and picked up Mecha.

"Then I'll watch her until she wakes up." Nanaki and Cid stared at him.

"Yer insane Sephiroth!" Cid clamored.

"Not insane... Just worried..." with that Sephiroth carried Mecha away as Cid stared at his back. Mecha's left arm hung over his right shoulder and her head lay on his left, her right arm hung at his side, and his arms supported her at her mid back and at her thighs so that she wouldn't fall from his shoulder to the deck of the ship. His long platinum hair swayed behind him as he walked. He mumbled something to himself as he went below deck. Cid and Nanaki stared at each other in utter bewilderment. Jared and Jordan decided to retreat to their rooms. Sephiroth reached his room as Jared began to come below, and shut the door softly so as not to bother anyone else. He lay Mecha down upon the lower bunk of his bed and climbed to the top bunk. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a nap.

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The spirit form of Mecha had stared only a moment after Sephiroth before bolting after him. She skidded to a stop at his door afraid of crashing into it and stared at it. She reached out and touched the wooden panels of the door and her hand fell through. She stared at her missing hand and pulled it closer to look at it. It was then that she realized that she could go through the door and she walked through it quickly. She watched him sleep for a minute before returning to herself. She sat up and rubbed her head for a moment quietly before getting up, changing her clothes, and slipping from the room. She found her sword on deck where she dropped it and picked it up. Sephiroth groaned in his sleep as Mecha sat on deck alone in the darkness of night and rain. He sat up and his Mako glowing eyes pierced into the darkness of the room. He got up and went up on deck. He saw Mecha standing near the railing with a hand on it as if there were nothing left in this world for her.

(Mecha)

Jenova's voice decided to interject on the peaceful moment just then.

(If that is what you seek far be it that you'll get it)

Mecha's head shook as if pain consumed every fiber of her being. She cast her sword aside to the deck with a clatter of metal and wood. She put her other hand on the rail and started to climb when Sephiroth bolted across the deck and grabbed her. He spun her around to face him, holding her by her cloak near his face. The wind was swirling around them blowing their hair all over the place in a mass of platinum and black.

"What's going on!" he shouted. Her eyes went wide at being stopped.

"Do you think I want her in my head anymore? Do you think I can ever be free like you and shut her out! The only way to cleanse my mind of her is to plunge into the water!" she shouted back. Sephiroth stared in total surprise at her reply. His hold on the cloak loosened and he stared at her, eyes locked on hers.

"What?" he uttered in confusion.

"You heard me correctly." She had calmed and was talking low, "put me down. There are others watching..." he began to let her down. Mecha looked to the side at Jared was standing at the front of the group and his face was blank. She blinked at him as her feet touched the wooden planks. He took a step forward. As soon as Sephiroth let her go she bolted and a splash was heard. Sephiroth let out a sigh and picked up Mecha's sword.

(Throw the sword into the sea!)

Sephiroth shook his head and climbed on the highest point on the deck. Everyone watched him sit down and let his hair whip all over the place. He looked at Mecha's sword with a look no one had ever seen on his face, well they still couldn't see it because of his whipping hair, a look of sadness. Everyone began to go below deck when a hand appeared on the deck on the portside of the ship. It was a few fingers of a pale white hand. No one saw the four fingers; nor the other four that appeared near it. The same pale white of the others. A slight coughing erupted as a pale white organism with black hair climbed aboard the ship. Sephiroth glanced at this creature sprawled across the deck. He got up and began to walk down to the pale creature, which turned out to be a girl in black clothes, a red cloak, and a red cloth about her head. His trenchcoat flapped in the wind as it saying something in a strange coat language. The cloak on the girl was flapping too, but not much, because it was immensely wet. Sephiroth picked the girl up and she groaned in protest. That told him who it could be immediately. The girl lifted her pale face to him. It was who he thought it was.

"I-I-I-I-I'm c-c-cold..."

"Shh..." he whispered, "you'll be ok Mecha.." he had almost said 'my Mecha', but caught himself. He stroked her wet hair a little as Jared gasped.

"MECHA!" the poor boy was afraid for her safety. Sephiroth handed the shivering mass of Mecha to Jared. It was his turn to take care of her. He turned from them to leave, but he was stilled by the lightest touch of a hand. He looked at her.

"You need to be with your friends who love you Mecha.." this caused the girl to blink and she lowered her hand. Sephiroth lay a hand on her cheek for a second. "I'll come see how you are later. Jared. Take care of her alright?" with that he walked from them to fend off Jenova again.

Jared had placed Mecha by the fire to warm her, but now she was going to protest it. She rose and flung away the blanket. She then ran despite everyone's cries and up to the highest point of the ship. She looked at the storming sky and the rain pelted down slicking her hair back. The wind was howling and her hair was flying around her like millions of black shadows swarming to take her over. Her piercing gaze seemed to be battling with the storm, but that wasn't true. Was it? She soon came down after the storm had dissipated. She pressed past those who had followed and into a room. Then she flopped down on a bed shivering and numb. Jared and Sephiroth met up at the door and stared at each other. They stared each other up and down in challenge and then stalked away. Mecha stared at the wall until the ship reached Junon.

Sephiroth went to check on Mecha, but she was no where to be found. He quitted the ship and met up with the others.

"She's not there." Jenova screeched in joy at Sephiroth's words. The others nodded. Sephiroth closed his eyes and pushed Jenova away from his mind. Cid turned and noticed a hooded black robed figure watching the group. Nanaki sniffed the air, but all he smelled was Mako. The hooded figure walked off shaking its' black hooded head. Sephiroth walked back to the rest of them and they talked about what they would do next. They went through Junon and destroyed a monster called a Jeno. After that they decided to visit towns and rid them of monsters and the Jeno, the spawn of Jenova's scattered parts that were to join with the rebirth to recreate Jenova.

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She stared at the mythril caves with a bored gaze. She entered them as she heard Sephiroth shouting about another Jeno that barred their path to finding her. She found a vine leading down and climbed downward warily. She traipsed trough the caves shivering under the frail cloak of her fathers. It was old and not threadbare, but thin enough that it wouldn't keep her warm in the freezing cave weather. Her father had never seen the mythril caves, so he couldn't prepare her for this. Her mother didn't even remember and that was no help to Mecha at all. She looked up ahead to see the other entrance to the cave. She leapt up the rocks as easily as a 2-face could bounce in the sand of the Corel prison. She approached the entrance and felt the temperature drop. A Jeno was close. That she knew. The temperature always dropped several degrees to her when a Jeno was around. They were attracted to her like flies when this happened. It was time to fight it off. She wrapped her hand around the hilt of her buster sword and began to turn.

"Mura-buster. don't fail me now.." Murasame had been integrated into Cloud's old buster sword to make it both lighter and stronger. Well the lighter part didn't work, but with the help of special runes imbedded in her hands, it became easier to handle. She finished turning and poised the sword in front of herself. There were two of them this time. Male and female. Only the female Jeno came after her, and she dashed to the side and leapt up into the air. Her sword arced down and cut into a tentacle which snaked up her sword and lanced into her, making her lose concentration long enough for the Jeno to arise and take hold of her by the shirt.

"It is time Rebirth of our mother to join with a Jeno," the scratchy voice cut through the air and lancing into her ears, "the Jeno must help you prepare for the birth of mother..."

Mecha stared the Jeno in the face and said, "not today.. it will never happen!" she arced up her sword, but the Jeno gathered itself and slammed into her, knocking her to the floor and spinning her sword out of reach. Mecha cried out in pain as the creature forced it's way into her and became part of her. The other Jeno watched this and left when Mecha passed out.

Mecha sat up a little later hearing the voices of her comrades entering the caves. She looked at herself in a Mako pool that lay beside her and saw that she looked like a Jeno now. It was only a look, but enough to trick her friends into thinking she was a Jeno. A tentacle waved behind her. The first of many to come.

"Mecha!" she heard Sephiroth call. A gasp escaped her as she jumped up and grabbed her sword. Then she ran out of the caves. Tears slid down her face as she heard Jared call her.

She gathered the courage to call back, "stay away please!" that call made them press on to get to her and she heard a pair of boots running across the caves. She fled past the swamp with the Midgar Zolom after her.

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Sephiroth poked his head from the cave, but the girl was gone. He felt anger build inside of himself, and the penalty was Jenova's voice lamented into his brain.

(She is coming closer to her destiny! You can do nothing to stop it AHAHAHAHAHA!)

'You can't do this! I won't let you!' Sephiroth cried in his head at the profligate beast. This caused Jenova to retaliate and make him double over in pain.

(Never defy me again Sephiroth! Mecha will lose the next upcoming battles and become easier to control! AHAHAHAHAHA!)

Sephiroth forced himself to stand despite the pain lancing through himself. The others were coming, but he could not show weakness now. Jared stepped out to see Sephiroth rise. His ancient garb began to flutter gently in the wind. His long black hair followed suit, as he watched the platinum haired man stand. Sephiroth looked at Jared.

"I'm going to find her..." the flash in Sephiroth's Mako-green eyes was unmistakable. It was the fire of determination.

"I have to come too..." Jared replied quietly. Sephiroth shook his head.

"I'd rather you not see what she is becoming yet..." Jared blinked and crossed his arms. "Besides your friends need you with them. I need no help. I have proven that many times..." with that he walked away from Jared, leaving the boy stunned.

He heard cries coming from the chocobo farm and he raced towards them.

"Are you-? oh Cetra!" there was a yellow chocobo slashed with its' innards on the ground. "What happened to that chocobo?" he looked to the girl standing over the chocobo.

"I found it like this and the new chocobo is missing!" the girl now looked at him. "A creature took my black chocobo away!"

He calmed the girl and asked what direction the creature took it.

"Towards Midgar!" Sephiroth thanked the girl and went towards Midgar. He found the chocobo wandering in the grass just outside of Midgar and a hole not far from it. He looked into the hole and a tentacle snaked out and around his leg. It flipped him upside down and a voice rang out.

"Leave me to die in peace."

"No!"

"Why must everyone torment me!" he recognized the voice in the utterance.

"Mecha?"

"No." the voice was anguished. Sephiroth reached to the tentacle and patted it.

"Be calm..."

"What do you want Sephiroth?"

"I want to find Mecha. Everyone is worried about her."

"They worry too much..."

"Jared is hurting bad."

"Jared needs to remain calm... just as you do..."

"I am not always calm young one..."

"I know you think I am Mecha..."

"You are.. I know your voice even with the sick undertones Jenova's spawn have put into it." a pair of eyes peered out at him. One red the other blue.

"What does it matter?"

"You are still you. So come out and I'll take the black chocobo back." The tentacle lowered him down.

"Take the bird back... I won't be here much longer."

"Come with me and I will explain something to you."

"Explain it later... take the woman her bird with my sincerest apologies." Sephiroth crossed his arms in defiant refusal.

"Mecha..."

"Go!" she shouted. The undertones snarled within her voice.

"I'm coming to look for you."

"Don't bother Sephiroth." Sephiroth took the bird back to its' master.


	6. Injections and to Bone Villiage

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Mecha stared after Sephiroth as he left. Her tentacle slid into the hole and she made ready to leave. Another Jeno was on its' way. She tore out of the hole and towards the water. Little did she know that was the direction the Jeno was coming from. It dove at her as she neared it. And she dodged to the side. A tentacle lanced into her leg immobilizing it. She hacked off the tentacle and proceeded to move away. Another lanced into her other leg. Then it grabbed her.

"May your Jeno joining be sweet as rain rebirth..." it threw her down and slipped in through a wound it had caused. She cried out for a mere second, before she fell into unconsciousness.

Mecha awoke a few days later with both legs bandaged. She sat up and looked about. She rubbed her head.

"Where in the name of the holy Materia am I?"

"You are in Kalm," a voice answered from behind her. She looked at the man behind her with his short/longish spiky black hair.

"Zack? First Class SOLDIER Zack!" The man shook his head.

"I'm his nephew..." Mecha nodded. "I am Marcus.." Mecha sighed a little. Marcus left the room leaving her to her thoughts. She heard him rummaging in the kitchen and she slid off the bed she was sitting on and walked out the door. Marcus walked back to find her gone. She had climbed on the roof of the house and was staring at the huge city of Midgar. She leapt from the top of the house and ran towards Midgar.

"Mecha!" she heard a strong voice yell. She skidded to a stop and stared in the direction the voice came from. She saw a figure in black with its back to her. She recognized the platinum hair and darted into Midgar. She ran into the sector 5 slums and into the church. There she ran into the back and flattened herself against the wall.

"Sephiroth..." she panted. Jenova wasn't too far away cackling.

(He's on his way now! He saw you enter Midgar!)

'More like you told him.' She cut a glance out the door to see Sephiroth pass the church doorway.

(I said nothing to the imbecilic dolt!)

She flattened against the wall at Sephiroth's call for her. Her heart raced as he turned and wandered inside the rebuilt church. His footsteps echoed halfway down the main hall and stopped. She listened to the silence for a few minutes before daring a look out. Sephiroth was on his knees and shaking. She put a hand on the doorframe at the sight of him on his knees, with his trenchcoat fanned underneath him. She reached up and touched the pink ribbon in her hair. It gave her an idea. She pulled off her cloak and head cloth. She then pushed up her hair and tied it in the ribbon. She spotted a robe beside the door and donned it elegantly. She wondered how she was going to become different in the eyes. It would have to do as she was. She wandered out and looked at him. He was bowed, his platinum hair hanging over his shoulders. She then heard his whispering.

"Please don't let her flee from me again... she's having so much trouble. I just want to help her..." Mecha kneeled in front of him and placed a small hand on his shoulder. His Mako green eyes looked up at her.

"Who do you speak of?" she asked. He raised his face even more and she saw how pain stricken it really was.

"Mecha," he choked out.

"This Mecha," she said thoughtfully, "may flee for a reason." He raised his black leather gloved hand to his head.

"But why?"

"There is a reason Sephiroth." she had avoided looking at his face for too long. She now looked him strait in the eye. "She's not ready." Sephiroth blinked. His hand moved to hers and closed around it.

"Why?" She freed her hand.

"I must go..." he took her hand again.

"Don't... I know it's you Mecha.."

"That I am, but I can't stay long.." he put a hand on her robed shoulder.

"I uh... Jared likes you... and...Mecha shook her head.

"I know you do too..." with that she stood and ran in the back. He got up to follow her, but she was gone.

She walked into the Shinra headquarters a while later. She stared at the huge glass double doors deep in thought.

"I wonder what it took to be a SOLDIER?" she walked inside and went up the elevator to the new head scientists office.

"Who are you?" Norman Osimmier asked.

Mecha blinked and replied, "The sister of the only one you couldn't wean off of Mako..." Norman looked up from the tube of Mako he was looking at.

"Well I'll be a beach plug! Mecha where have you been!" Mecha shrugged.

"Around... I need a favor.." Norman removed his glasses revealing a pair of soft amethyst. His gray hair was short and spiky. He wore a nice long-sleeved light blue business shirt with a midnight blue tie under his labcoat. His black slacks framed brown loafers. Mecha blinked at the man who had spent several years taking care of her.

"What's the favor?"

She looked down as she replied, "I need an injection..."

"What!" Norman shouted. His shout was heard all the way to the bottom level of the Shinra building.

"I need the injection..."

"You know I can't give you the injection without authorization from Cloud!" Mecha looked at Norman.

"Cloud cannot know... he doesn't even know where I am..." she looked out the only window in the lab. "The Jeno are fusing with me now... I need to get the injections in order to survive them..."

"They've started fusing with you!" Mecha nodded. "That must mean-!"

"I'm 20. My birthday isn't much farther away..." Norman walked to Mecha and lay his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry..." Mecha gently pushed his hand away.

"I need to become stronger... to fight Jenova... Hojo... he ruined my chances..."

"I'll tell you what Mecha," he began, "you work under me and I'll give you what injections you need. I won't log them, so you must accept the risks... if I'm caught during this process I could be in grave danger."

"I will protect you... you saved my life not once, but many times..." she looked up. "We must disguise me..." Norman nodded and handed her a pair of contacts to make her eyes purple in color. She put them in and he gave her a labcoat and a pair of glasses. She moved her cloth to become a headband and hid her cloak in the closet. She became a lab technician in seconds. Norman led her to a mirror and she tied her hair in a bun with the pink ribbon of Aeris's. she pulled wisps of hair out and smirked.

"Perfect. Now you are a lab technician. Now for a name tag. What will you be called?"

"Call me Ashe."

"You need a last name too."

"Hmm... how about Colur."

"Ashe Colur. I like it."

He took Mecha downstairs and got her a job underneath him as his assistant. She told him about Sephiroth's want for the files Hojo had before.

"You can handle the files Ashe.." she nodded and moved to the file cabinet as Sephiroth walked in.

"Which one of you two is Norman Osimmier?" Norman looked at Sephiroth over his glasses.

"What do you need?"

"I would like access to Hojo's files."

"You have to speak to my assistant Ashe." He pointed at Mecha who was digging in the file cabinet. Sephiroth walked to her. She was grumbling in a rather rude manner at the cabinet, as she couldn't reach the files she wanted.

"Would you like some help?" she jumped and almost fell to the floor, but Sephiroth caught her. She blushed.

"Um why yes. Could you reach the Jenova files for me?" he blinked at Mecha's interest for the Jenova files. He set her upright again and reached to the files she wanted easily. He put them in her hands and didn't let go.

"Why did you want these?" She looked up at him.

"Research..." that caused him to grin.

"Don't go insane." She blinked remembering she had told him that not too long ago.

"Didn't you want to look at them as well?" he nodded. "Maybe we can look together... but I have to organize them first. Come back tomorrow. I should be ready to read them over with you by then." Sephiroth nodded and let go of the files. Soon he left.

"He seems rather nice," Norman observed. Mecha looked up at Norman from where she was.

"He's in love with someone..." Norman looked at her as she looked back down. She pushed up the glasses and stared at the mess of papers in front of her. "That can change a man.."

"Who is he in love with?" Mecha looked up and removed the glasses. She sighed.

"He should say, not me... but I can tell you this girl loves him too... maybe not as strongly, but still..."

"Ashe?" she returned to the papers.

"Forget I said it..."

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Sephiroth walked from the building deep in thought. Ashe reminded him of Mecha, but he didn't know that it was Mecha.

'Mecha where are you... I'd rather work with you on those files instead of Ashe...'

(AHAHAHAHA! Mecha avoids you like the plague! She will go for Jared for sure! He's stronger! His offspring will be more to my liking!)

'More like more under your control. I've seen how he handles himself. The children won't have my or Mecha's fire to be free of you. That is why you fear us being one..'

(You are still easy to control!)

'I am not!' Jenova cackled in his head.

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"Are you sure you want the injections?" Mecha pushed up her sleeve.

"Yes, just be ready to run or catch me." Norman placed the needle on her arm and pushed it into her skin. She winced in pain and groaned a little. She felt pain lance through her as the Mako entered her bloodstream. Her groan turned into something forlorn as her eyes rolled up into her head. Her eyes closed and she fell after the needle left her skin. Norman dropped the syringe so he could catch the poor girl. He lay her back in the chair to let her rest, but didn't strap her down as Hojo used to do. He left and got a cool cloth to put on her head as she slept in the chair. She would soon awaken.

-----------------------------------------------------------

"Owwwww..." Mecha reached a hand to her head as she sat up.

"Easy Mecha.." Norman said quietly.

"Ashe.."

"Sorry.. I forgot for a second." Mecha nodded.

"It's ok Norman. Thank you for helping me out." She got up from the chair despite Norman's command to stay down.

"Ashe please lay back down... you are not strong enough to stand yet." Mecha looked at him with purple eyes behind black rimmed glasses.

"You want to keep this hidden correct?" Norman nodded. "Well then let me back to working..." she moved staggeringly to the desk where the Jenova files rested in a messy heap.

"Ashe," Norman called to her. "I'm going home. Don't stay up too late. You are welcome to sleep in the bedroom." Mecha nodded and picked up a paper about Sephiroth. She vaguely heard the door close behind her as she began to read Hojo's scribble about his son.

3/27 15:52

Sephiroth has responded to the Mako testing. Now his reaction to the cells of Jenova are quite interesting. He died within hours of the initial injection, but revived in a matter of minutes. It was well past my wildest expectations. My son. A super SOLDIER for Shinra's army. He must undergo more testing! Several thousand cc's of both Jenova's cells and the Mako will round him up to about six times his strength of his small five year old body. I am very pleased with the testing my son has endured for the sake of –

It was cut off right there. The rest of the page had been torn off to prevent further reading. Mecha grinned to herself as she knew what Hojo had done with that page. He had found her reading it at the age of four. He strode to her and savagely ripped the page from her hands. In the process the page she was reading now was torn. He had hidden it in a vent where she couldn't reach. But now she could. She took off her glasses and labcoat, then proceeded to climb on top of the filing cabinet she was digging in earlier. She found it hard in the slacks and dress shoes she wore. She glared at the shoes and wished just the slightest that she were able to wear her boots again. She then remembered her tail was exposed and that made her easy to identify. She jumped off of the cabinet, threw on the labcoat, and climbed back up. She pulled on the vent to get it open as Sephiroth wandered in.

"You do maintenance too?" she pulled the vent free and toppled from the filing cabinet. Sephiroth raced towards her, but she crashed into the floor with the heavy vent cover in her hands. "What were you doing up there?"

"Looking for something?" she shoved the vent cover off and got up. She climbed back up, reached inside the vent, felt around, and pulled her hand back when she hit the stack of papers. "Didn't I tell you to come tomorrow?"

"I needed to talk to someone about something..."

"What's that?" she climbed down, papers in hand, and, as he replaced the vent cover, put on her glasses.

"I'm beginning to like this girl, but she keeps running from me."

"Do you know why she runs from you?"

"She has a reason she won't tell anyone..."

They talked for a while before Mecha said, "Could it be because she wants to protect you?"

"It could be, but why would she want to protect me?"

"From what I've- AGH!" Jenova lanced into her head cutting her off.

(You cannot seriously care about him!)

'I can! I can if I want!' she held her head in pain as Jenova screeched.

(He is a failure!)

'No! He's not!' Sephiroth placed a hand on Mecha's shoulder.

"Miss Ashe? Are you ok?" Sephiroth was pale faced at seeing someone in pain for some reason that wasn't obvious.

(I'll make you easy to find Mecha.)

"No..." came her reply to both.

(Yes I will!)

Mecha scrunched up her face in pain as Jenova began to twist parts inside of her.

(C'mon Mecha! I know you're fighting to keep the limit inside...)

Mecha doubled over and cried out.

(Let it go! Become the Jeno!)

"I will never!" Mecha screamed, snatching up the papers of the Jenova project and disappearing deeper into the lab. Sephiroth blinked. He was dumbfounded why Norman's assistant did this. He walked after her, his boots making clanging thumps on the metal grate of the floor. Jenova laughed in his head as he rounded the corner where Mecha was. She was shivering heavily and the devastated remains of a white labcoat, a length of cord, a broken pair of glasses, and a pair of black dress shoes were all that remained of Ashe. Her disguise. The rest of what she was wearing was torn leaving her with barely enough to cover herself. The shirt had been ripped by something, and the pants were in shreds.

"Mecha?" she turned her head to look at him from under her wild hair. He lay a hand on Mecha and a tentacle snaked around his hand and up his arm. It gently caressed his face and slid from his arm.

'So this was the surprise you talked about. How many more tentacles does she have?'

(The Jeno will keep coming and adding them to her body. Until I no longer need them. When-)

'You're in utter control of her body? I doubt that.' He picked Mecha up like a hero would carry a heroine in the movies.

"Put me down Sephiroth.." he looked down at Mecha.

"I have to get you out of here before they find out what you did to Ashe..."

"I'd take it with the valor bestowed upon me... besides," she freed herself of him and moved to the closet. She dug out her things and put them on. She then cut her purple eyed gaze at him, "I am Ashe.."

"You're Ashe? I told you how I felt without realizing it?" Mecha nodded.

"And I played the perfect nice stranger. Not knowing what your dilemmas were. Not understanding until you told just enough." Sephiroth grabbed her by the arms and faced her to him.

"Why?"

"I told you as Ashe. To protect you.. and the others."

"From what?" she blinked out the contacts.

"Why... myself and the Jeno..."

"But that isn't fair to us Mecha... we want so badly to help you."

"You can't. This is my chance to save someone. Besides. You're the only one who can track me. You're not helping me by chasing me alone... get the others. Find a way to kill Jenova before my twenty-first birthday. Then I can be free.." Sephiroth nodded.

"But Mecha how will I find you in the end after all is done?"

"You won't... I'll find you..." with that she freed herself and was gone.

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"Where do we start?" Sephiroth stared after the direction Mecha had gone.

"Why don't we start where I started," a voice said behind him. He turned to face Cloud and Tifa. Tifa was carrying a new baby boy. This caused Sephiroth to crack a smile.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Cloud walked over and clapped him on the back.

"Now. What Vincent has told me is that..." Cloud talked on and on about everything Vincent told him and how different Sephiroth was from the last time. He led Sephiroth to his house, where the others were waiting. Sephiroth told them what Mecha had said and they nodded.

"So she really was... is trying to protect us," Jared said.

"And she wants us to kill Jenova by her 21st birthday," Sephiroth stated.

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Mecha stared at the papers as Norman gave her yet another injection.

"Those monsters are dropping on you like flies now.."

"Yes I know.. after 3 more injections I can't come back.. I'm risking too much..." Norman nodded worried about the girl. He finished the injection and helped her to a tank to rest in. He had purposely filled it with the Cryo-Mako, his special formula for Mecha whenever she came for help. She slept there for hours, before awakening, much stronger this time, and disappearing. She soon found herself on top of the Shinra building staring at Cloud's house. She saw Sephiroth standing alone in the rectangle of light that was Cloud's front door.

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Sephiroth saw Mecha atop the Shinra building. He thought it was someone else at first, but the way she sat there gave it away. That and a short appendage waving behind her. She raised her hand and disappeared out of his sight again. He walked a little farther into the darkness as she disappeared.

"Mecha," he said almost inaudibly. The others didn't hear what he had said and left him to his inclinations.

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Hours later, Mecha stopped next to the ocean. A frozen block of ice was floating in the ocean. A small grin spread across her face. It would take the group weeks to catch her as they weren't agile enough to make the leap. Maybe Sephiroth was, but the others would keep him in sight. She backed up and made a running leap towards the block of ice. She landed on the edge and it began to tilt. She scrambled upwards to stay on, but it tilted even more. She gritted her teeth and clamped her fingers into the freezing cold ice. She lost all feeling as she climbed up and let the ice tilt back to being flat. She panted as she let the ice drift north towards Bone Village.

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She pulled herself ashore near Bone Village. She flopped on her back and lay there to rest.

"Damn... what a rush.." the ice block had melted several miles offshore and she had to swim the rest of the way. She stood up and walked through the woods near Bone Village. The people looked at her strangely as she entered the town. She paid them no mind as she moved to the ladder and climbed it. She was about to walk into the sleeping forest when the foreman stopped her. She looked at him blankly.

"No one has entered that forest for 24 years now." She shrugged and took another step. "I beg you stay out of that forest. It is holy ground now."

"Who deemed this place so holy I can't enter!" she glared at the man with her blue eye.

"Why the president of Midgar."

"Then tell him I had important business..." she turned from the man and walked into the first fringes of the forest.

"I can't do that."

"You can. Stop delaying my mission." She ignored anything else he said and moved farther into the forest.

"But only an ancient can find the way through there!" the excavation group cried. She turned slowly keeping her tail securely around her waist.

"What do you think I am?" that shut them up. "And it's Cetra... not ancient." With that she was gone from Bone Village.

She exited the sleeping forest with no problems, except for the creature at the end. A spiketar. It had sprung up after Sephiroth had been killed around twenty-five years before. She panted heavily her sword laying beside her while she leaned over to take a break. She sat down and dug in her pouch. She found it empty of all except an elixir, an X-potion, and a turbo ether. She would have to wait until she got to Icicle Inn to get more. She picked up the elixir and drained it, bringing herself to full health and MP. She leaned back against the cool rock and closed her eyes to rest them. Soon she had fallen asleep and was dreaming.

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Sephiroth and the crew waited in Fort Condor for news of Mecha walking by. They were soon brought news of the people seen walking by in the past month. A man had brought a book and scanned through it.

"Nope no black haired girls this month." The man shut the book and wandered off. Sephiroth was getting angry. He slammed his fist into the wall next to him cracking the rock.

"This is the fourth town we've checked for her!" he put a hand on his forehead and pushed back his hair.

"There could be millions of places to look Sephiroth," Jared replied. Sephiroth cut the most evil look at Jared.

"We've got two months to find her... if you want to slack off go ahead!" he yelled in the boy's face. Cloud and Cid pulled him back.

"Hold on Sephiroth!" Nanaki interjected. "We will split up. You take your path and we are going to get Vincent." Sephiroth looked at the red creature and let them hold him.

"Sounds fine.." he grumbled. Cloud and Cid soon released him and they left for Junon.


	7. MechaJenova and the Battle

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Mecha awoke with a start.

She had been dreaming. She had been in a tank, barely alive. A black-haired man was working franticly at a table. She groaned in pain and the man looked at her. She barely heard his words, but the words were kind and comforting to her pained ears. She couldn't feel half of her body. Just pain all over. She tried to look down, but her head wouldn't move for her to look. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came. The man looked down and pressed a few buttons, which released a tranquilizing gas into her air mask. She knew nothing more.

She sat against that cool rock panting heavily. She looked about and got up after a moment and picked up her sword. She felt several more tentacles on her back.

"They must've gotten me while I was out..." she counted them. "Seven. I'm done for now... the process has accelerated..." she looked up as the wind blew her hair out of the way of her red eye. She saw the male Jeno that had been there with the first to overtake her. He moved toward her and she raised her sword. He closed the distance enough to talk, but out of the reach of the Mura-buster.

"The process has accelerated yes, but your friends are diligent in their searching. You have one month to birth our mother Jenova. And if it fails I am to destroy you."

"I'm already dead if it's a success!" the Jeno touched her face.

"At least you'll have had one minute of true freedom." She jerked away from his touch. "Such beauty. Even when angry. A perfect thing to be when our mother is born."

"There is no true freedom. Go away."

"I know where you are going Mecha Valentine..." She waited until the Jeno left. She tore towards the ancient city.

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Sephiroth paused outside Bone Village. He knew what time remained. And the others were late. Soon he heard the roaring engines of Cid's airship. He watched it get larger and larger. Soon it was directly above. It began to land, blowing his hair back away from him. Soon Cloud exited followed by Vincent.

"I found something..." Sephiroth held up a red cloth.

Vincent grabbed the cloth and examined it closely, "She was here." He examined it again. The look that came upon his face was one of great worry.

"What is it?" Vincent looked at them.

"We have to get to her as quickly as we can... Cid get us as close to the City of the Cetra as quickly as possible." Everyone looked at him so he continued, "she has weakened greatly. A fight with the Spiketar will have depleted her strength and healing reserves. Therefore we have little time before the Jenova birth. It's very close." Jordan grumbled.

"I'm not going... Marlene is waiting for me back in Costa Del Sol.." Reeve who was usually quiet at these times spoke. Everyone had forgotten he was around.

"You have both of your parents blood. You will be fine.."

"I refuse! I am going back to Marlene!"

Cid spoke, "After I get them to the city."

"No! I'm going now!" Jordan darted back the Highwind and Cid chased him. Soon the airship was gone and so were Cid and Jordan.

"Damn boy," Cloud seethed. Sephiroth looked at him.

"Let's get going. We are going to have to take the long way..."

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She leaned on the wall of the building where her mother was first killed.

"No... I can't stop here.." she staggered down the crystal steps. She sank to a step and rested for a moment, before pushing herself back up to continue. She moved quickly to get down the stairs before she fell down again. She fell to her knees and it took what seemed an eternity to rise back up. Her movements had become so slow and her rests so frequent, that it took days to execute them. She heard boots slamming into the spiral above as she finally reached the platform of her mothers' death. She touched the blood and surprisingly it was wet and not dry. She lifted her hand and traced a circle around the blood. Then she began to chant in the ancient tongue of the Cetra. She tilted her head up towards the ray of light emanating from above. She barely heard the cries of her father as her body was lifted. Her eyes opened and the right had turned red. She was turned in mid-air to face her father. Aeris screamed something as she ran down the crystal steps in her nightgown and robe. She had run all the way from Nibelheim somehow in minutes.

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"Kill it!" Jared yelled when he saw the red-eyed tentacled creature floating in front of them.

"Wait! Look! In her hair!" Vincent grabbed Jared's gun from him.

"Aeris's bow..."

"Come... son of Lucrecia... come.." Sephiroth backed up as Aeris gasped. She tried to stop him from drawing his sword.

"No! Don't kill Mecha!" Vincent grabbed his wife as Sephiroth pushed her back and advanced toward the stones towards the altar, followed by Nanaki and Reeve.

"She isn't our Mecha anymore..." Vincent replied softly to his wife, who began to wail. "she has challenged Sephiroth... it's all over for Jenova has her now..." Sephiroth hopped onto the altar as Mecha spread her arms.

"Come... meet your fate in death."

The three males began to fight with Mecha-Jenova. Mecha-Jenova slapped Sephiroth with a tentacle. Nanaki slashed her and the 7 tentacles with his mega-all materia attached to him. Reeve cast Ultima on her and her tentacles. Sephiroth slashed Mecha four times. A tentacle fell as she double slapped Reeve. Nanaki cast Bio on her. It took no effect and Sephiroth noticed immediately.

"Bio didn't work!" they nodded and Reeve called forth Bahamut ZERO. It hit her hard and she shook. She raised her hands in a countdown to call forth her new summon.

"3" Sephiroth slashed a tentacle. Nanaki with another slash with mega-all. Reeve cast Ultima.

"2!" Sephiroth summoned Hades. The status effects didn't quite work. Nanaki cast big wall. Reeve tried casting Ultima and failed.

"1!" Sephiroth summoned Bahamut Zero. Nanaki slashed again. Reeve placed a Turbo-ether on himself.

"0!" Mecha reached in her pocket and pulled out something round as she floated higher. She rounded that hand in a circle and threw herself toward the ground slamming the round thing down onto the ground. A circle of shadows appeared and swirled around amongst themselves wildly. Something began to appear and two eyes blinked at them. It emerged further and it looked like a giant pained creature. Wrapped in cloth and some was hanging down. Sharp clawed hands flung themselves out and glowed with many colors of light. Bright lights then exploded around them, while skeletal bodies flew around them. The giant creature drew back into the shadows as the light exploded away and the skeletal creatures blew up. Damaging them badly. The three were panting heavily. Sephiroth threw up a megalixer. They all stood as another attack was executed by Mecha-Jenova. All seven tentacles slapped them all as she spun around. Nanaki then cast Demi. It didn't effect her. Reeve cast Regen on the party as Mecha began her countdown again. Sephiroth thought of something. He cast cure as Reeve and Nanaki yelled at him. It stopped her by damaging her badly and causing her to lose concentration. The fight raged on while Aeris wailed. Nanaki called Neo Bahamut. Reeve cast Freeze and it missed. soon Jared, Cloud, Vincent, and even the wailing Aeris joined in wearing the girl down. Soon she fell.

"I have done the unthinkable.. Forgive me for what I must do now..." she began to rise. "You must die..." Aeris gasped at the ferocity in her voice.

"Mecha! Stop this! This isn't you!"

"Quiet woman! I shall kill them and then you. I am not your Mecha." A tentacle slapped Aeris to the side as Mecha-Jenova arose. Sephiroth and Vincent saw this and Sephiroth charged her. He drove his sword through her and she grabbed the sword handle. Sephiroth let go of the sword.

"Mecha.. I'm sorry." The red eyes trained upon his face.

"Og ohv'g uiyk meydg... og xeh fova mik daggovt Qavine gera fa inak..." with that she fell. Sephiroth turned to Aeris.

"What did she say?"

"It isn't your fault... it was mine for letting Jenova take me over..." Aeris replied. Sephiroth blinked.

"I shall pay my respects." Sephiroth picked up Mecha and began to take her away.

"Wait.." Sephiroth turned. "Vincent. Give it to him... Both of them." Vincent stared at his wife. "It's Mecha's right as an Ancient." Vincent nodded and placed the package with the materia into Sephiroth's hands.

"Don't open this. Put it in Mecha's hands and bury her with it." Sephiroth nodded and placed it in Mecha's hands. He walked off with Mecha dangling from his arms. He thought as he took her to the pool where they had buried Aeris that time when he'd killed her. Ancient? Mecha was an Ancient? He walked out of the building and to the pool of water. He began to walk into the water. He held her a moment longer than necessary then placed her in the water. He watched her sink deep within the water.

"I wish you had more of a chance." he walked out of the water and found something shiny and large on the ground. Mecha's sword. The group wandered out to see him holding Mecha's sword.

"Leave it here as a grave marker Sephiroth." Sephiroth nodded and drove the sword into the ancient soil. He then flipped out the Masamune.

"I will never fight with this sword again." then he stabbed it into the soil with Mecha's sword. Cid wandered up.

"Hey where's Mech-? What in the hell happened?" Vincent turned.

"We were too late for her." Vincent's red eyes burned with hostility.

"Eh? I s'pose ol' Hojo's in for it now." Sephiroth looked at Vincent and handed him Mecha's favorite materia. The knights of the round. Vincent took it and pocketed it.

"I'll kill that man." Cloud stopped his red-eyed friend.

"He's locked up for what he's done Vincent!"

"I don't care anymore. He deserves pain and suffering before his demise.." they all left the burial ground of Mecha.

PART 2

Three years passed and something stirred deep in the pool of pure water. A pair of red eyes opened in the deep recesses. It began to emerge from the pool near the swords. During the three years after Mecha's death Vincent had tortured Hojo many times. But not killed him as he was still needed to cure the Mako testees. Sephiroth had mourned Mecha and everything he did was to protect others. It had almost cost him his life once, but he had sprouted wings and saved himself. The world now renowned him as the Holy angel. Reeve had returned to Shinra under Cloud. Tifa had two more children and now spent all hours chasing them. The twins Maria and Lita, and their older brother Jonathan. Nanaki had found a beautiful creature of his kind to wed named Jial. Their children were on the way. Vincent and Aeris had moved back to Midgar. They had almost divorced from the pain of Mecha's death, but some force kept them together. Mecha's memory lived vividly in their hearts keeping them together. May it be caused by Mecha's spirit, which wandered behind them a lot, or some unknown force. They had stayed bound together. Cid slept a lot of the time with Shera running about his house in rocket town, which had been rebuilt. Jared and Yuffie had gone back home to Wutai and their family was lords and ladies of the land as Godo had passed away. Barret was still angry with Mecha, even though she was dead. And Jordan and Marlene had a child on the way. Cloud worked diligently to keep his family fed and happy. A hand emerged from then pool of water in the ancient city. It was followed by an arm and soon a whole person emerged it had long black hair and red eyes. The red eyes blinked and it's right hand closed around the Mura-busters hilt it freed the sword from the ground and began to pull the Masamune from the soil as well. It looked to the sky and closed its red eyes as it dropped the swords again. It pushed back it soaking wet black hair and revealed a torn red cloth around its head. It removed the cloth and threw it to the ground. It did the same with the torn cloak on its back, revealing a black tail. It looked at the boots on its feet and admired them for a minute or two. Then it grabbed the two rusty swords and crossed them on its back. Then walked away from the pool. It stopped approximately seven feet away and returned to pick up the cloth and cloak. It was going to fix them in Bone Village, along with shining up the swords. It moved south towards the entrance to the ancient city and walked out into the wilderness.

The excavation in Bone village was great and they had found many things. A black haired, red-eyed person walked into Bone Village and wandered to on of the diggers. It helped the man dig a bit, before he scrambled away in fear. It stopped very much hurt by his actions and he returned to it and dug with it. It pointed to a shiny object and the digger brought it up.

"Johnna look!" the head digger walked over to look at the shiny object found. It was a SOLDIER armor plate.

"Who found this?" he commended. The digger pointed to the person still digging. "Let them keep the item." The digger nodded and passed the armor plate to it. It took it graciously and put it at its' side. Soon it had found more SOLDIER armour and stood reveling itself to be a female. The digger stared as she blinked and picked up the items she found. She climbed down the ladder quickly flicking her tail. She walked into the shop and came out later dressed in overalls and a black shirt. She still donned her boots and she was putting on the Shinra Armor plates and belt and things she had found into a bag. She nodded to the digger and disappeared with the swords crossed on her back.

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Sephiroth was cleaning his wings when a cry for help rang out. He ran immediately to the cry and saw what looked like Mecha fighting off some Neo Shinra SOLDIER officers. Neo Shinra was trying to reconstruct the old ways and it was run by Rufus Shinra. He quickly dispersed them with a Fire 3 spell and helped the person up.

"Are you ok?" the person looked at him and grabbed him about the neck.

"Thank you for saving me. You really are an angel.." the soft voice said. It wasn't Mecha, but he patted the woman to comfort her. She soon let go and invited him to dinner. He politely declined and sent her on her way. How he was missing Mecha and her sweet voice. Little did he know he would see Mecha, but not hear her voice speaking words. He walked to his home on the outskirts of Midgar just inside the fence. He was miserable and few knew it. He reached his house and walked inside to find Vincent there.

"Another life saved?" Sephiroth nodded. "You know Mecha may never come back from the dead. It's been three years. You should move on."

"It's not easy, but I'll try. Also the right one hasn't come into my life yet for me to release Mecha from my heart." Sephiroth turned to a window. "I know you miss her too.. and so does Aeris.."

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The girl who had been in Bone village not too long ago was floating towards Midgar on a block of ice and propelling it with spells of wind. Not long after it crashed into the Midgar shore. The girl jumped off the ice and ran towards Midgar. She skidded into the huge gate that marked the entrance to Midgar.

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Sephiroth was in his house when the bang came and he had come out to see what in the hell had caused that noise. There was a black haired girl standing just outside the gate, looking at the large metal structure. He opened the gate with a code and looked at the surprised red-eyed girl blinking at the gateway that now stood open. He was surprised at the surprise on her face. It looked as though this girl had not seen the gates of Midgar before. Everyone in the world over 15 had seen the gates of Midgar as Midgar was the business capital of the world. This girl reminded him so much of Mecha it hurt. Her red eyes rested on him and she blinked. He noticed the two swords crossed on her back. He shook his head. The swords that matched those were in the Ancient city. This girl couldn't have the Masamune and Mecha's buster sword. Her eyes skimmed the wings on his back curiously. Sephiroth was glad that Jenova wasn't bothering him anymore. After Mecha had died Jenova seemed to have disappeared, but that was far from true. She was laying dormant.

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The girl looked this platinum haired man over. This wasn't the man in her memory. This man had a pair of wings and he was better built from carrying a bigger sword than the Masamune. She opened her mouth to say something, but then realized she couldn't speak at all. She had forgotten how. She bowed and stood back up. Sephiroth scanned her and turned away from her. She tilted her head as he walked inside of his house. The gate began to shut. And she turned from it heading eastward towards the chocobo ranch.

The girl had found a name at last. Ashe. She knew it wasn't her name, because it had no feeling in it for her. She was caring for a sick chocobo when a black-haired man with red eyes came up to her. He tapped her and she stood up.

When she looked at him he spoke, "I'm looking for a chocobo." She studied him a moment. She realized she looked like him. She soon pointed to the black chocobo with the name Sephy on the stall that she was caring for. The man looked at it as a woman in pink walked in.

"Aeris! Look!" the woman in pink walked to the man. And stood next to him. He reached his clawed hand out to her for her to take gently.

"What is it Vincent?" Ashe perked up at hearing Vincent's name. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a pink bow. This she had found in her hair when she looked in a mirror in Bone Village. She sighed and walked to the back of the barn to get some medicine for the sick chocobo. Her chocobo. Sephy. She heard Vincent exclaim that only Mecha would name a black chocobo like that. She stopped, bottle in hand and stared at Vincent. She returned to the chocobo and gave it the medicine it needed.

"What's the matter with the chocobo?" Vincent asked Ashe. She pointed at its throat and moved down to its belly area. Vincent was annoyed with this not speaking. He turned Ashe to face him. "Why won't you speak!"

"Vincent please!" Aeris cried. Ashe lowered her head. The owner of the chocobo farm walked in.

"Because she doesn't know how." Vincent let Ashe go and she petted her chocobo fearfully.

"How come? Didn't her parents teach her to speak!" Vincent was seething. Ashe remembered this and shrank next to the chocobo, which ruffled its feathers to comfort her.

"She somehow told me they did, but she doesn't know who they are." Ashe began to cry. The first sound she had made since coming out of the pool. Aeris looked at her and kneeled down while the males spoke.

"What's wrong sweetie? Are you hurt?"

Ashe shook her head.

"Are you afraid?"

Ashe nodded.

"Of what sweetie?"

Ashe pointed at Vincent.

"Vincent!" Vincent paused mid yell.

"What?"

"You are scaring this poor girl!" Vincent listened to her tearful wails.

"Like I care..."

"What if it was Mecha!"

"Mecha is dead."

"So was I!" this calmed Vincent quickly.

"If it is who could have revived her! Sephiroth didn't do it! I revived you! No one has set foot on that ancient soil!" Ashe stared at Vincent and she pushed the pink bow at him and Aeris. The chocobo picked it up and put it in Aeris's hand that was closing into a fist. Aeris felt this and looked at the pink ribbon in her hand.

"Oh my god. How did this get here.." Vincent looked at the ribbon.

"I haven't seen that in years Aeris..." Ashe was holding her chocobo now and crying silently into its feathers. "I'm going to get Sephiroth.."

"But we haven't gotten a chocobo for the memorial to Mecha!"

"This is more important Aeris..." with that he disappeared. Not long after Aeris followed suit. The boss came over to her.

"Are you ok Ashe?" she nodded. The boss stood. His name was Mr. Asheburn.

Sephiroth came with the parental pair as Ashe was caring for a sick chicobo. She sat cross-legged on a wooden box letting it take medicine and Chocobo milk from a dropper. She watched Sephiroth until the chicobo nuzzled into her lap for a nap. She looked down and petted the chicobo. It made a cute whistle at her as it closed its' eyes. It was a black chicobo called Quicksilver Seth. Aeris began complaining about missing Mecha again. Soon they left and the pair of men left talked.

"Vin-cent and.. Ae-ris... missing Mech-ka..." Mr. Asheburn and Sephiroth heard not a word she said, but soon they froze and looked in her general direction. She was petting the chicobo quietly. Sephiroth ran outside the barn calling for Mecha. He was disappointed when he came inside again. She was putting the chicobo with his mother which was a blue chocobo called Sahara. Quicksilver Seth whistled at her and she grinned. He trotted to his mom and cuddled up with her. She shut the stall and wandered outside. She had done well with hiding her tail, but she wanted so badly to free it from its' ties and wave it around. She wandered outside of the farm and accidentally into the swamp with the Midgar Zolom. It reared and readied to strike her. She just grinned. Sephiroth heard the huge snake hissing and ran out of the barn.

The boss yelled from behind, "Ashe! How many times-!" he was cut off by the snake diving down towards the girl. She had freed her tail and leaped on top of the giant snakes' head. She raised her hand and a sword materialized in it. it was long and thin like the Masamune. He now recognized the girl from Midgar when she had slammed into the gate. She put it on top of the snakes head. And stared at it daring it to move. Mr. Asheburn was about to rush out there, but Sephiroth stopped him. The snake had a million scars, but only one had ever put a Midgar Zolom in a critical position before. Himself. She shoved the sword through and killed the snake instantly. She pulled the sword out and began to cut the snake to bits.

"I think she just killed a feast.." Sephiroth commented.

"What?"

"You two and the chocobo's can't eat all of that alone..." Mr. Asheburn nodded. Ashe carted a big chunk of meat by them grinning. Sephiroth ruffled his wings at the girl and she poked him with a black appendage sticking from her rear. He blinked at the tail and it waved. She carried the meat to the silo and went back for more. Sephiroth tagged along as well. The sword she had used was gone and he longed to inspect the sword. She tried to pick up a large piece of the snake, but couldn't. Sephiroth grabbed it and picked it up. He gave a grin at the girl and walked off as she picked up a smaller piece and trotted back after him. The gathering went on for a few hours, before they were finished. Sephiroth readied to leave before she said something to catch his attention.

"Sephiroth!" He turned and a huge happy look was on her face. Mr. Asheburn was staring.

"My mother be a ark dragon! She spoke!" she backed away from Mr. Asheburn as he jumped for joy. He obviously thought she could say strings of sentences now the way he was yelling about it.

The look on her face was saying, "uh-oh bad idea to speak." She backed into Sephiroth, who lay a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She was the first female to not cling to him, therefore hindering his wings.

"Calm down Asheburn. She said only a word... not a sentence..." Mr. Asheburn stopped and blinked.

"I'm sorry." With that he walked off. Sephiroth looked at the top of Ashe's head.

"You sound like someone I knew.." she looked at him. "And you said my name even though I never told it to you or Asheburn.." the look on her face said that she really didn't know what he was talking about. He smiled. "You may just be the cure I need..."

She tilted her head at him as if asking why. He looked towards the north. He patted her for a second in thought.

"I'll be right back. Stay here." He disappeared for a moment into Mr. Asheburn's house. He returned later. "Come with me. We are going to the Ancient City."

She knew where that was and groaned. He looked surprised. Then he grinned.

"Don't wanna walk either. So we're gonna fly there." He reached out his hands. "I'm gonna have to carry you." She stepped up to him and let him pick her up. Something seemed familiar about this. She pushed the deja vu from herself and waited to reach the Ancient City. He led the way up the path towards the place to put the Ancient Key. He pointed her towards the ancient viewer. "You will see Mecha there.."

Then he set the key in. She somehow viewed everything of Mecha's death. She watched fearfully as Sephiroth struck Mecha down. Sephiroth's hand appeared on her shoulder. She turned from the sight and Sephiroth led her out.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have shown that to you..." she stared at him, calming herself.

She gestured to the viewer.

"That was the girl I cared about. She couldn't control herself at the end so I had to.." She put a red-eyed gaze on him. He thought he saw something of Mecha in Ashe. "Mecha..." she tilted her head and closed her eyes. Then turned away from him and walked to the viewer. She walked inside it frozen on the girls red-eyed gaze and face twisted in pain. She had seen the eyes many times. She looked at Sephiroth in there. His face had been the last thing Mecha had seen before death. She looked closer at the viewer's picture as Sephiroth watched from outside the watery thing. She stared at the viewer until she started slipping into the past life.

"Bio didn't work!" they nodded and Reeve called forth Bahamut ZERO. It hit her hard and she shook. She raised her hands in a countdown to call forth her new summon.

"3" Sephiroth slashed a tentacle. Nanaki with another slash with mega-all. Reeve cast Ultima.

"2!" Sephiroth summoned Hades. The status effects didn't quite work. Nanaki cast big wall. Reeve tried casting Ultima and failed.

"1!" Sephiroth summoned Bahamut Zero. Nanaki slashed again. Reeve placed a Turbo-ether on himself.

"0!" Mecha reached in her pocket and pulled out something round as she floated higher. She rounded that hand in a circle and threw herself toward the ground slamming the round thing down onto the ground. A circle of shadows appeared and swirled around amongst themselves wildly. Something began to appear and two eyes blinked at them. It emerged further and it looked like a giant pained creature. Wrapped in cloth and some was hanging down. Sharp clawed hands flung themselves out and glowed with many colors of light. Bright lights them exploded around them, while skeletal bodies flew around them. The giant creature drew back into the shadows as the light exploded away and the skeletal creatures blew up. Damaging them badly. The three were panting heavily. Sephiroth threw up a megalixer. They all stood as another attack was executed by Mecha-Jenova. All seven tentacles slapped them all as she spun around. Nanaki then cast Demi. It didn't effect her. Reeve cast Regen on the party as Mecha began her countdown again. Sephiroth thought of something. He cast cure as Reeve and Nanaki yelled at him. It stopped her by damaging her badly and causing her to lose concentration. The fight raged on while Aeris wailed. Nanaki called Neo Bahamut. Reeve cast Demi and it missed. soon Jared, Cloud, Vincent, and even the wailing Aeris joined in wearing the girl down. Soon she fell.

"I have done the unthinkable.. Forgive me for what I must do now..." she began to rise. "You must die..." Aeris gasped at the ferocity in her voice.

"Mecha! Stop this! This isn't you!"

"Quiet woman! I shall kill them and then you. I am not your Mecha." A tentacle slapped Aeris to the side as Mecha-Jenova arose. Sephiroth and Vincent saw this and Sephiroth charged her. He drove his sword through her and she grabbed the sword handle. Sephiroth let go of the sword.

"Mecha.. I'm sorry." The red eyes trained upon his face.

"Og ohv'g uiyk meydg... og xeh fova mik daggovt Jenova gera fa inak..." with that she fell.

She opened her eyes to find Sephiroth holding her. She blinked at him. She was ready to say something.

"Mecha.." her voice cut into Sephiroth like a knife through hot butter.

"What?"

"Mecha..."

Sephiroth thought a second before speaking, "O... dinal Mecha... xogs... edd.. fu.. saekg... zyg... og... oh gofa... gi fina iv.." (I... loved Mecha... with... all.. my.. heart... but... it... is time... to move on..) Ashe paled and her eyes went wide. She grabbed him in a hug around his neck. She was happy he learned to speak Cetra. Sephiroth had no idea why she did that.

"Pagke! Devtyeta!" (Cetra! Language!)

"O rvix gxi... xsi hcaer... zaggak Pagkoev... gsev O li..." (I know two... who speak... better Cetrian... than I do...) she nodded and grinned.

"O pev gaeps uiy zaggak Pagkoev.." (I can teach you better Cetrian) he nodded, but told her in Cetrian that she needed to learn English. She crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Oh alright have it your way."

"Gsevr uiy." (Thank you)

It was raining and Sephiroth watched the girl sleeping. He was wondering why she had said Mecha. He sat up and saw something familiar. The way she slept. Curled in a ball with her tail wrapped around herself. When he'd seen the tail, he thought it was some special power of agility that she had. He had refused to believe Mecha had revived. He reached out and touched the long hairs draped over her arm.

She mumbled something like, "Sephiroth, xsaka eka uiy... doma ohv'g kaed evufika... O xevg gi dona eteov..." he drew back her long hair and looked on her sleeping face.

"Don't worry Ashe... everything is real..." with that he lay down with an arm over her to keep her warm as it wasn't much of a house they were in, but at least it would keep them dry.

Ashe awoke with Sephiroth at her back. She dared a look at his face. It was peaceful and actually cute. She decided it was too much of a risk to stay next to him and slowly replaced herself with a pillow under his arm and moved towards the wall hole and looked out of it, sitting and twitching her tail.

"Sephiroth, doggda li uiy rvix O ef Mecha... O miyvl iyg xsav uiy hsixal fa fu ixv laegs ghskiyts e naoxak."

Sephiroth awoke soon after to find that Ashe had slipped from his grasp

"Ashe.. why are-?"

"Mecha.. O ef Mecha. Ashe oh qyhg e vefa..." (Mecha.. I am Mecha. Ashe is just a name..) Sephiroth stared at the back of her head.

"Mecha!" she cut the red-eyed glance at him.

"Uaes." (Yeah) Sephiroth got up and walked to her. He looked down at the top of her head. He looked as if he were concentrating on something.

"You can't be Mecha. Mecha is dead."

"Haa Mecha'h laegs gskiyts Mecha'h auah. Gsav uiy pev cehh qyltafavg gi xsi O ef.." (See Mecha's death through Mecha's eyes. Then you can pass judgement to who I am.)

"How can I?" he cried exasperated. "I am not Mecha!"

"Pedf lixv.. O xodd hsix uiy six gi diir gskiyts Mecha'h auah." (Calm down.. I will show you how to look through Mecha's eyes.")

"Show me.." she stood and looked at him.

"Eka uiy hyka? Haaovt gskiyts evigsak'h auah pev za mkotsgavovt." (Are you sure? Seeing through another's eyes can be frightening.)

"Get on with it Ashe.."

"Edkotsg..." (Alright) she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the viewer.

"Why are you bringing me here?"

"Uiy eka diirovt gskiyts Mecha'h auah." (You are looking through Mecha's eyes." ) She pointed at the viewer as she said this and he walked inside. She muttered something and the viewer showed everything through Mecha's eyes. Sephiroth walked out.

"I had no idea how painful it was for me to strike her in the end."

"Six xaka uiy gi rvix gsoh Sephiroth." he sighed and she patted his upper arm. (How were you to know this Sephiroth?)

"I still say you are not Mecha..."

"Fyhg O hsix uiy six O pefa gi za?" (Must I show you how I came to be?) he cut a glance at her. "Mkif gsa ciid uiy zykoal Mecha?" Sephiroth blinked at her. (From the pool you buried Mecha?)

"Show me then..." she nodded and he stepped back in. This time she followed. He saw every little part of her awakening and climbing from the pool. "Where are the swords then Ashe.."

"Sollav..." (hidden)

"Hidden! Why!"

"Hi vi iva xiydl anak rvix..." (So no one would ever know)

Sephiroth awoke again.

"ASHE!" Ashe looked at him.

"Uaes?" (yeah?)

"I just dreamed you were Mecha."

"O ef vig Mecha.. uiy rvix gseg.." (I am not Mecha.. you know that..) he sighed.

"I still wish she was alive."

"Have they told you to let go?" he was stunned at her speaking other than Cetrian.

"They told me so many times." Ashe looked at him.

"Then you must... it may be the only way you can survive otherwise." Sephiroth nodded and got up. He moved behind Ashe quietly as he thought. She looked away into the rain and blinked.

"Keov... six caepamyd og oh." (Rain... how peaceful it is) Sephiroth nodded.

"That it is Ashe..." she turned to look at him as he sat next to her. Her red eyes blinked slightly as she looked into the rain. Sephiroth raised his arms in the yawning gesture as Ashe slowly closed her eyes into a meditative state. He brought his arms down and grabbed Ashe around the neck gently pulling her into a friendly headlock.

"He-ey! Sephiroth! leggo! Sephiroth laughed a little. The first laugh he had let go since he before he joined SOLDIER. This surprised the girl, since he hadn't laughed since she had met him. He let her go and she scrambled a few feet away blinking at him in confusion. He grinned at her, a true grin, and she tilted her head and let loose a grin as well. Sephiroth dropped his grin. It was Mecha's grin across the face of this red-eyed female.

"Mecha..." Ashe's grin dropped as well.

"You're having trouble dealing with your memories... I shall leave you now..." she stood and hopped out of the house and began to wander away.

"Ashe! Wait!" he jumped up and jumped out of the house opening his wings and flying after her, but she was gone. "Ashe!" he flew around trying to find her before he found her soaked to the skin under a tree that had no leaves. He landed and walked to her. He stretched a wing out and covered her in it.

"Who's there?"

"Sephiroth.."

"Oh.. ok.."

"Can't see in the rain can you?" she shook her head a little and her hair fell over her left eye. Sephiroth stared. "You remind me more of Mecha each action you take.." she looked up at him.

"What if I were?" Sephiroth cut a half smile at her.

"Then I'd be the happiest man in the world..." Ashe thought a minute and began to piece things together.

"I think there is a connection between your Mecha and my past..." Sephiroth shook his head.

"Can't be. Can it?"

"It is possible... I seem to remind you a lot of her..." Sephiroth nodded a little. "What does- I mean did, she look like?"

"About the same as you except a red cloth and cloak." She nodded.

"Then I must go back to the ranch." Sephiroth became confused. "Only for a moment. There is something there..." he nodded and picked her up. He then set her on her feet. She began to walk towards bone village, before Sephiroth scooped her up and flew back to the ranch.

She stared in the house mirror after they got to the ranch with a red cloak on her back. It wasn't secured yet as she wasn't quite finished with the cloth on her head. She hid her tail and fixed the cloak. Now it was time to walk out to Sephiroth. She stepped over to him and looked at his sitting form. He was asleep and she sat down staring out a window waiting patiently for him to awaken. She began to think of something long past.

3/27 15:52

Sephiroth has responded to the Mako testing. Now his reaction to the cells of Jenova are quite interesting. He died within hours of the initial injection, but revived in a matter of minutes. It was well past my wildest expectations. My son. A super SOLDIER for Shinra's army. He must undergo more testing! Several thousand cc's of both Jenova's cells and the Mako will round him up to about six times his strength of his small five year old body. I am very pleased with the testing my son has endured for the sake of science. His mate for creating the super SOLDIER I need is still being formulated as we speak. Maybe I will use a normal child, just as we used him. I have formulated about 50 women named Andromida. Each have different last names, but the effects to the Darkstar are much better than the rest. She is a rather young specimen, but her specs for being able to revive again and again will help her complete her objective. If she terminates herself, by anything I have not covered I will use the data collected to inject another female experiment. My love is not for Sephiroth's mother, but Jenova. Jenova is life. Jenova can rule with me and my son at her side...

Mecha sat up in utter surprise. Sephiroth was awake.

"Vincent! What are you doing here!"

"What?" she asked in confusion and her hair fell in front of her left eye.

"Ashe!"

"Yeh?"

"You are- I mean you look exactly like Mecha."

"Maybe I am Mecha..." she stood and shook her head. "If I'm not then I must be a good imposter..." She turned to see Sephiroth on his knees with his hands on his face.

"Sephiroth?" he looked up at her with such pain that she backed up a few steps. He stood and came towards her. She continued to back up until she backed into a wall. Sephiroth stopped just in front of her. She winced as he lifted his hand. She then felt a gentle touch on her face.

"Mecha... I thought I'd never see you again.." a tear slipped from her eye as he knelt closer to her. She raised hand to wipe it away when she felt his gloved fingers do it for her. "Don't cry..." her eyes opened and she stared at him through blurred vision. Her knees released themselves and she slid towards the floor. Sephiroth put his hands under her arms picking her back up and putting her head on his shoulder. He felt her hands close with the pain her emotions were causing.

"You waited 3 years? For someone who is dead?" he hefted her up a little to carry her properly as she was leaning on him. One arm holding her around her back and the other holding up her legs. He carried her away from the ranch and towards his house, while the chicobo, Quicksilver Seth, his mother, Sahara, and Sephy followed.

He lay her down on his bed and went outside to accommodate the chocobos. When he walked inside Mecha was curled up and sleeping. He ran his hand over her head pushing back her hair and looking at the scar her left eye had suffered so long ago when the Highwind had crashed into the area of Mideel. She awakened to find him looking kindly at her.

"What are you doing Sephiroth?" he snapped out of his look and smiled at her.

"Nothing dear Mecha." He stroked her hair not knowing whether to tell her how much he missed her or not.

"It can't be nothing..." his smile broadened.

"It's just that I missed you so much these three years."

"You shouldn't have waited for me to resurrect... I half expected you to be married with a child by now..." he ruffled his wings.

"But no one could compare to how you affected me..." he removed his hand and she sat up. He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm and a wing around her. He pulled her next to him as he put his other arm around her. She watched his other wing lift itself and go around her.

"Mecha." Mecha opened her eyes and sat up. Sephiroth had a snack for her. "I figured you were hungry."

"Thanks..." he handed her the food he brought and she munched it idly. When she finished her food, she looked at the floor and a wing tip lifted her face to looking at him.

"Mecha... it's been three years. Do you know how much I've missed you?"

"You shouldn't have stayed in the past with me. You should have moved on..."

"I couldn't have Mecha! It was so raw! I knew that you'd come back someday!"

"Do you know why I came back?" Sephiroth shook his head. "It was because you refused to move on. Your connection with me through Jenova never broke. She was dormant until my resurrection. Sephiroth, please, love someone the way you cared for me... They will need it more than a dead female who cannot give love back..."

"But you're here with me now..." he reached to her with a hand.

"But my life now is shorter than before..." his hand hesitated.

"You have to stay! You can't leave me again!" he was frozen with the denial that she was going away again.

"If you really want me back ask my father how he brought my mother back... But you're being selfish right now."

"You can't blame me!" he threw his arms and wings around her. "I just. It's been three years." Mecha sighed.

"You can't keep destiny from repeating. You will end up fighting me again..."

"I'll break it!" Mecha pulled away and walked across the room.

"You can't... Jenova is the only one who knows how to break the cycle." Sephiroth almost flew into a rage, before Mecha stared him down. "And in order to do this I'd end up killing the whole world!"

"How do you know this!"

"You remember how I acted before you impaled me with the Masamune?" Sephiroth nodded. "That's how.." Mecha turned and stared out the window she was nearest to.

"How will you break the cycle?" Mecha shrugged.

"Only time can tell how I will break Jenova's hold and be freed of her grasp."

"But Mecha! You promised to help me!" he cried.

"I did? Yes I did!" she turned to him. Sephiroth looked at her.

"So you can't leave yet..." Mecha sighed and turned to the closest window.

"I suppose I can't." she turned to Sephiroth. "But do this.. When it is time for me to finally go, I want you to let go and find someone. Promise me you will..."

"I promise Mecha." Mecha began to smile and patted him.

"Tell my parents I love them and give this sword I made to the one you find." She handed him the sword. "She will call it... Masa-." With that she fell not finishing the sentence. Her body began to disintegrate into nothing.


	8. Anima

PART 3

A pair of red eyes opened in a Mako tank to the friendly face of Norman Osimmier. She knew nothing of the parents Hojo had stolen her from or even Sephiroth. It had been a dream. Except for it really wasn't. It was someone's life. A black-haired man stood not far away with his hair tied behind his back. And yes it was black. The twenty-four-year-old girl floated in the tank with her tail curled around her feet.

"My, you finally awoke Anima. It's nice to see you. Seth look! She's awake!" Seth turned and looked at the black-haired girl in the tank. He looked at the red-eyed gaze that now fixed itself upon him. Her hand raised to the glass and she somehow came closer to see him. She put her forehead on the glass as Seth stepped closer. He was curious too. Norman smirked at the man he had adopted as his son and the girl he had been trying to save for nineteen years.

"Please, can we let her out?" Seth looked at him. Norman nodded and went to the control panel and punched in some numbers and the tank began to drain of the Cryo-Mako. When the tank was drained she was trying to hold herself upright and Seth opened the tank, removed the tubes and oxygen mask, and picked up the shivering wet mass of Anima and carried her to the washroom. Norman followed and ran a hot tub of water. He had never encountered this before and he was going to try to do it right the first time. He put her in the bath and held her up. She blinked at him from under her black hair. Norman left to call someone. Seth helped her wash herself off the Cryo-Mako, and then he washed her long hair as she watched him warily. He gave her a reassuring gentle smile to comfort and calm her. She wondered if all she had seen before was a dream. Norman wandered in.

"Her father is on his way Seth." Seth nodded to Norman and brought Anima from the bath and wrapped her in a towel, he carried her out and set her in an armchair to let her rest as she had fallen asleep on him. Vincent wandered in soon afterward. Vincent looked at Seth and looked to Norman.

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"How is my daughter?"

"She's fine. She is sleeping right there."

"Does she know about Mecha?"

"No, should we tell her?" Vincent shook his head.

"No, she need not know."

"Is Mecha still in the pool in the ancient city?" Vincent shook his head.

"I checked yesterday and her body is nowhere to be found. I was going to resurrect her." Seth looked at Vincent a little. He looked back at Seth. "How did you make him younger Norman?"

"It's his doing. He spent all that time in the northern crater. The Mako had that affect on him." Seth was stroking the girl's hair gently.

"The crew is going to think she is Mecha."

"I know what you mean. But isn't there a way to change the way she styles herself to keep the crew from thinking that?" Anima began to yawn and looked up at the green-eyed gaze of Seth. Her eyes changed by getting orange flecks in them. Her curiosity. Seth called to the others and she turned her orange flecked red eyes at them.

"What's this?" Vincent asked. Then the orange began to change and gather blue flecks. She was happy to get all the attention at the point.

"I saw the orange when she awoke Mr. Valentine." Vincent nodded and pushed a package into the hands of Norman.

"I brought these for her. They were Mecha's. All of it. Teach her how to dress herself and such things a twenty-four year old should know by now, I will be back for her when you have gotten that done." Norman nodded to Vincent. Norman helped her stand and changed her into the black tank top and black jeans provided by Vincent. The rest included a lavender dress almost like Aeris's, the red cloth and cloak her father once owned, a lavender ribbon, the bag of Shinra SOLDIER armor, a black leather trenchcoat, and the black fingerless gloves Mecha always wore. Norman put the clothes in a company locker and closed it as Vincent left.

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A few months later Seth was helping the girl sit on her own and Norman was working on a computer. When Norman turned Anima was leaning on a wall and very proud of herself. She made a rather happy squeal as Norman grinned.

"She is learning quickly my son."

"That she is." Seth ruffed her hair a little and wandered off to get her something to eat. Norman wandered to a desk with a computer and began to type on it. Mecha had observed them walking and was going to try it for herself. She turned and began to stand slowly. Once on her feet she wobbled a little and walked the few steps towards Norman to see what he was up to. She watched him peck at the keys to form curious markings on the screen.

"Seth? Will you give me that blue syringe over there?" She walked to the table and picked up the syringe. She walked over and handed it to Norman and went back to the wall and sat down. She watched him fill the syringe with a little Mako. Just enough to keep her alive and help her get stronger. He walked to her and she held out her arm obediently. At least he wasn't mean like the other man who had run the lab before. She heard Hojo's scream rip through the building and shuddered a little. Norman slid the needle into her arm so that she hardly noticed. Then the slow injection. He knew she hated this so he tried to make it as painless as possible for her. When he was finished he stroked the girls hair for a moment. It was to let her know he didn't want to hurt her. Seth wandered in shortly after and sat next to Anima speaking softly to her. He held out a plate with something on it and Anima picked it up. She eyed the food a moment before eating it down quickly. Afterward she moved towards her bed, without letting them know she knew how to walk. Kind of the scooting across the floor she had down. She began to climb onto the bed and Seth came over to help her. She shook her head at him and finished climbing up. Seth sat down next to her and pushed back her hair. She looked exactly like Mecha in almost every way except the scar that Mecha had. Soon Seth patted her hand gently and he and Norman left for the night. After they left, she wandered to the filing cabinet and pulled out the Jenova and Sephiroth files. She was trying to read them. She sat on the floor and began to try to decipher the files.

"And I in... inject... injected into him three thousand gr-grams of Mako. He shook vio... violent... violently and... after twenty minutes, lay still..." she paused to scratch her head. Then resumed reading. "He lay like that for several days before awake... awakening. My dear son has per... performed my wildest expectations..." she read for a long time as she had been listening to them long enough, but she had taught herself how to read. She put away the file and climbed into her bed.

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Seth shook her awake the next morning. She stirred before opening an eye and looking at him. She squealed and jumped onto the metal grate above her and clung to it as she stared at Seth.

"Seth? What did you do?" Seth turned a look of total surprise at the girl.

"Nothing honest! I just woke her up."

"Sephiroth!" she squealed at the two males and pointed at Seth. They both glanced at each other for a moment.

"She must have gotten into the files. What a clever girl," Norman stated and Seth nodded. Anima dropped down and stared at them. Both sat on either side of her and she looked back and forth between them.

"Anima. I adopted Seth as my son. He's not dangerous to you or anyone... What you read was the past of a very troubled man." She looked at Norman as Vincent walked into the lab.

"She's doing well I hope." Vincent said cutting off the conversation. Norman went to Vincent to talk.

"Why yes Vincent. She leapt onto the grate above her bed this morning." Vincent looked at the girl and she knew she couldn't fool him.

"Up Anima. You're going to see your mother now." She stood and wandered across the floor to Norman and Seth's amazement. Both stared wide-eyed as she put on her boots and Vincent led her out of the building. She gave a glance to Seth as she wandered out the door.

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Anima found herself face to face with Aeris and blinked. Aeris seemed very happy to see she still had a daughter.

"You revived Mecha!" Anima blinked and Vincent got the anime sweatdrop look.

"No... not exactly Aeris. You see this is Anima." Aeris blinked at him in confusion. Then she looked at Anima, who held a look of confusion. Her eyes were flecked with green. Aeris sighed.

"I don't understand Vincent..." Vincent put his good arm around Aeris.

"Remember when you passed out giving birth to Mecha?" Aeris nodded. "Well you gave birth to Anima after you passed out. Of course Anima had barely a chance of survival, so I put her in the care of Cloud and Shinra, until Hojo had gotten to her. There wasn't anyway I could have broken it to you... so for this long it has been my sin."

"Vincent," Aeris sighed. Vincent turned his red-eyed gaze at the girl who stood blinking her red eyes, which now held brown flecks at them. She turned to wander away holding her tail low. Vincent had a feeling that he should say tail rule to the girl who had never heard it before.

"Anima," he said. Anima glanced at him over her right shoulder, eyes flecked orange. "Tail rule." Anima curled her tail around her waist obediently, much to her parents' surprise. She wandered onto the porch of the mansion quietly and sat on the porch swing they had set up.

"You hid a child from me!" Aeris stared at Vincent.

"Aeris, I had to."

"No! You didn't!" Anima sighed heavily and moved away from the house quietly. She was going to leave Midgar and go elsewhere. One glare from Vincent caused her to turn around and move back towards the house. Once inside she moved to Mecha's bedroom. She looked about at the various weapons on the walls Mecha had collected while she was alive. She found a picture of a girl on the dresser and picked it up. She studied it and found herself to be the same except the blue eye that seemed very happy.

"My I look like you..." she said very quietly. She sat the picture down and looked at the bed. She moved to it and sat down. She then removed her boots and lay down on her back. After a while she fell asleep.

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Anima found herself face to face with herself. Or what seemed to be her. The other laughed evilly in this dream. Tentacles rolled from her back and her face became more evil as she laughed. Anima found herself very scared and trying to run. A couple tentacles wrapped around her and lifted her from the ground and began to squeeze.

"Meet your maker imposter!" Anima began to cry out in pain as the tentacles squeezed tighter and tighter.

Anima sat strait up and breathed heavily. She rubbed her head and wandered outside. It was dawn and the sun was peeking from behind the houses. Someone was standing alone in the grass just outside a home not too far from her. It was Seth. He turned his Mako-green eyed gaze upon her and grinned. He began to walk over and she sat on the porch swing watching him. He stepped onto the porch his boots thumping on the wood lightly.

"Hey," he said quietly. She turned her eyes upon him and they had yellow flecks in them. "You ok Anima?"

She wasn't going to tell him that she was afraid and nodded.

"Can I sit with you?"

She cast a gaze at the house.

"It's alright. Vincent trusts me."

She blinked and pointed at the spot next to her shrugging. He sat down and ruffed her hair. She began to straiten her hair as she looked at him, red eyes flecked with many different colors.

"I got something for you Anima." She blinked at him and he pushed the stack of Jenova files into her hands. "I know you were reading these." She grinned and carried them back in the house. Vincent wandered out and smirked at Seth.

"You are right I do trust you. I've grown to trust you." Seth smirked as well.

"I am glad you all trust me now."

"Yes, and now I see you are making friends with Anima. Seems like you are finally letting go of Mecha." Seth rubbed his head.

"I still don't know why you guys had me dye my hair..."

"It was so that you don't look like your old self and scare away the new people who don't understand like Anima."

"I see." Anima padded back out and looked at Vincent quietly. Vincent looked back at her and smirked.

"Seems she has taken a liking to you as well Seth. Be careful." Anima plopped into the swing seat and Seth pushed it with his feet for her in the slightest bit. Vincent looked at the girl and nodded. She curled up next to Seth and yawned sleepily. Seth watched her close her eyes and sleep. He leaned back in the swing seat and closed his eyes too, pulling Anima into his lap, who promptly re-curled herself and stayed asleep. After a while Aeris came outside and covered them with a blanket. She wandered inside to talk to Vincent who was eating breakfast and reading the paper. If not mentioned earlier in PART 2 both of their hair had turned white in the years after Mecha's death. They weren't really but maybe 45-50 years of age.

"They look so cute out there asleep." Vincent looked at Aeris.

"Are you sure my dear?" Aeris nodded. Vincent cut his red eyes back to the paper. "Anima and Mecha are alike in every way compared to looks. He may only want to be around her because of her looks."

"Oh Vincent! Have a sense of romance! He may have gotten over Mecha by now. You know I heard she had come back long enough to tell Sephiroth to forget her and fall in love with another." Vincent looked at his wife.

"What! Are you serious!" Aeris cut her eyes first left, then right.

"Um... Yes, but it's only a rumor honey. Don't tell either of them."

"Tell either of who what?" Anima stated from the kitchen doorway. It was the first time she had spoken around anyone.

Aeris walked to Anima and ushered her from the room saying, "Nothing sweetie. Don't you worry about a thing." Anima squealed at being pushed from the room. Seth wandered in yawning after that.

"Hey where's Anima?" he asked.

Vincent only pointed to Aeris who was holding the girl out of the room. "Excuse me Miss Valentine..."

Aeris stepped aside and Seth walked through the door to the waiting Anima. He led her outside through the other way.

"I think they need to be alone Anima." Anima looked at him.

"Seems they are hiding something..." Seth eyed Anima who had spoken.

"You spoke Anima."

"Um... yeah. I've listened in enough..."

"How long?"

"Every time I awoke in that tank I heard voices. I listened and listened. But when I began to read I began to understand how the words worked. Don't tell my parents ok?" Seth looked confused so she continued. "They didn't pay attention..." Seth nodded and guided her to the old sector 6 park and Anima climbed on top of the old slide that Aeris and Cloud once sat on. Seth began to follow her, but thought a minute.

"Hey Anima." He finally climbed up onto the old slide; "Can I talk to you?" Anima looked at him.

"Sure." Anima stepped to the side to make room, but lost her balance. Seth saw this and quickly grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back up.

"Be careful. Your parents don't want to lose you." He sat down after he picked her up. She looked a little confused, by the green colored flecks in her eyes. "You are here so you don't fall." Anima nodded.

"What do you want to talk about Seth?"

"The girl I met before you..." Anima looked at him quietly. "Her name was Mecha. She lived with your parents in Nibelheim. Over four years ago..." Anima got a look of thoughtfulness, and her eyes became colored by violet flecks.

"That name. It reminds me of a dream I was having..." Seth looked at her and she began to tell her dream which was Mecha's life. His eyes went wide.

"That was no dream my dear girl. That was your sisters life."

"My sister?" she jumped up and toppled off the slide. "I have to find him!"

"Find who?" Seth jumped down and looked at her.

"Sephiroth." Seth reached for Anima, who darted off.

"Anima!" he chased after her, but she was gone. "I'm Sephiroth," he said to the air around him.

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That night as Anima lay on the hard cold ground, Seth was worrying himself. Anima began to wish she had packed a few supplies before she left. Even learned how to use a weapon. She got up and walked to the closest tree, where she found a pack hanging a few feet over her head on a branch. She jumped up and snatched the pack quickly. Once she had it she sat on the ground and began to investigate it. It held two strange materia. One black, the other white. She eyed them a moment before pocketing them. They would hold great significance at another time. She looked through the pack once more finding one of every materia in the world. Plus another. She eyed this multi-colored materia and wondered what it was. It was red, black, and purple. She checked the pack once more and found an X-potion and a turbo ether. She also found several thousand Gil.

"Not much for items..." she dug around not noticing a dark cloaked creature wander up.

"Gee. The battle with the Spiketar depleted my reserves. I never made it to the next town." Anima looked up at the dark cloaked figure.

"Never made it? Why are you here then?"

"Yes, I died in the city of the Ancients. I may be dead, but that doesn't keep me from wandering the planet." The dark cloaked figure shifted its weight. "I came to see my sister."

"Who's your sister?" The dark cloaked figure removed its hood revealing Mecha.

"You are." Anima stared at Mecha.

"You're the one mom and dad talk about all the time." Mecha chuckled.

"You should hear Sephiroth." Anima blinked. "He never would shut up about me." Mecha sat down.

"Why wouldn't he shut up about you?" Mecha sighed.

"He loved me... I want to give you a power. Don't abuse it."

"What power?" Mecha said nothing and held out her hand. It began to glow.

"Take my hand Anima." Anima did so reluctantly. Mecha closed her eyes and the glow left her hand and transferred to Anima's. Then Mecha disappeared.

"Mecha?"

Silence followed. Anima wondered where her sister had gone. She stood and wandered back home.

Seth was waiting just outside Midgar. When he saw her approaching, he thought at first it was Mecha.

"Mecha!" he cried to Anima who really did look like Mecha this time. Anima looked at him. He immediately stopped him from the next yell and looked at the tired girl. He ran to her and caught her just as she fell. "Anima..." he picked her up and carried her to his house.

Anima awoke to find a cool cloth upon her head. She glanced about after opening her eyes. She looked at Seth who was sleeping beside the bed in a chair.

Then she heard a female voice say to her, 'Take care of Sephiroth for me Anima.'

"I'll try to..."Anima said in a low voice. "Where is he?"

The voice replied, 'You'll know when the time comes.' Anima reached to the cloth on her head. It was very cold. She wondered why and began to try to find out why the cloth was so cold when a hand stopped her, by holding onto her wrist.

"Don't Anima. Dad had a hard enough time stabilizing your condition. You've been out for a few days." She glanced at Seth. Something was different about him. He didn't have his hair tied back. And it looked like something familiar. She blinked slowly as Norman wandered in with Vincent behind. Vincent strode to the girl and looked at her. She looked back and the mind speaking began.

'Lets talk here Anima.'

'Alright. But why though?'

'So that I can speak to you without interference.'

'Ok.'

'Now, why did you run off alone and unprepared?'

'I felt an urgency like no other...'

'Mecha...'

'I know about Mecha now father. Why did you keep it from me?'

'I didn't see the need for you to know.' Anima made a face at him.

'So not telling me that I had a twin... that wasn't needed to know? Everyone calls me Mecha... I'm beginning to believe I am Mecha.' And that was the end of it. Anima got up and flung the cloth aside. She snatched up the first available weapon, which was Mecha's old sword. All went wide-eyed as Anima hefted the sword and lay it on her shoulder and picked up the peg belt and stalked out. All three looked at each other.

"I have a feeling she's going to Nibelheim..." Vincent stated. Seth paled.

"She's gone to look for someone no doubt," Norman said, "she had that look." Seth got up and grabbed the weapon he used now. A rifle with a scope and a silencer on the end. He carried it into his room and began to get dressed. He pulled on a tank top and pulled on the old trenchcoat. He dressed almost like his old ways, but some things were different. He picked up his gun and walked from the house. He looked up to find Anima standing atop the Shinra HQ wearing a trenchcoat herself. A wind stirred the coat bottom making it flap in the wind at the same time her hair lifted and flapped as well. She turned and looked in the general direction of Seth, before jumping into the air and disappearing into the night. Seth raced through the slums to get to her, but she proved much to quick. Much quicker than Mecha. Not long after he heard a cry of pain. He went towards it and found a woman being beaten by some thugs. He fired a round into the air, watched as the thugs looked up, and lay the gun aside. Then they advanced towards him. They thought they could overpower him. He smirked and waited for them to get close before he caught the first one in the gut with a kick. The next he flipped into a raised section of road. He soon dispatched most of the thugs before flipping his gun into his hand from the ground and shooting the remaining few as a warning. He leaned his gun on his shoulder and grinned. The woman was grateful and latched to him. She was younger than he was. She ran her fingers in his hair. And he gently dislodged her from himself.

"Madam please refrain from this action!"

"What's wrong? You saved me... can't I show my gratitude?"

"Not this way!" he edged away from the woman when he heard a snickering laugh from nearby. Anima had heard the scream as well and had come back to help, but seeing Seth save her and being so shy afterwards was funny. Seth reached into the place Anima was hiding and snatched her out. He glared at her

"I'm sorry," She said, "it was just so funny. Saving that lady and then being so... shy..."

"That was not funny Anima... I bet you set this up."

"No, I heard the scream from Kalm. And I raced back to help. I obviously caught the end of your wonderful battle skills." She blinked at him. Then looked to the woman, who was glaring at her for being there. "And ma'am you shouldn't have come onto my friend like that."

"I wanted to thank him in the way most men would want." She caught the tone of the woman's voice and glared at her, now recognizing her.

"What!" Anima struggled to get free of Seth's grasp. "You mean you wanted to seduce him!"

"Oh my, why would I do that?" the lady acted surprised while Seth was looking. When Seth turned around, she mouthed 'You're dead.' That got Anima really steamed.

"YOU HAVE SOME NERVE! IF HE WASN'T HOLDING ME I'D GUT YOU LIKE A MIDGAR ZOLOM!" Seth dragged her away as the lady smirked. The lady had staged the beating. She really did want to seduce Seth. And Anima had figured it out.

Once out of Midgar, Seth put Anima down. He looked at her and tried to read her expression.

"Anima that was uncalled for." Anima looked at him.

"I heard of her. The woman who stages beatings to lure the nice males into her bedroom!"

"What?"

"She acts so innocent until someone stumbles onto her plan. Watch. I'm on her to kill list. But guess what. I'm not going to be here."

"Where are you going?"

"Doesn't matter." She turned from him and began to walk off. Seth blinked and began to run after her.

"Anima! Wait! She stopped and looked at him.

"Why should I wait?" Seth blinked at her.

"Because I'm coming too."

"I'm going to find my sister." With that she began to walk away again.

"But your sister is dead." Anima stopped.

"I know that.." a voice cut into her head.

(Anima!)

Anima blinked at the sickly sweet voice that had interjected into her head. Another yelled at the voice. It was Mecha.

'Mecha? What are you doing in my head?'

-Protecting you from the other obviously.-

'Where is Sephiroth?'

-Look for him. He may be in front of your face.-

Anima blinked a few times and looked at Seth. 'Does that tell me anything?'

-I cannot help you. This is your mission.-

With that Anima wandered off, leaving Seth confused at all 3 voices that had come into his head.

'Anima. Mecha. And Jenova is back!' he thought to himself. 'This isn't good at all.'

-You silly man... go after my sister!- Seth jumped and ran after Anima, his trenchcoat flapping behind him.

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Several days later Anima stepped into Junon. She carried the Mura-Masa on her back as she walked about and down to the beach of lower Junon to find the girl whom Cloud had saved long ago sitting wistfully. She moved closer to hear the girl sigh. She edged closer to hear the low spoken words.

"Cloud, my love, why must you choose her over me? Why can't you give up this charade and come to me?"

Anima stopped.

"Oh Cloud, come back to me..."

Anima blinked a moment trying to figure out who Cloud was, when Mecha's voice cut into her head, 'Cloud is the president of Midgar. You saw him not too long ago standing with his wife and 3 young children. The little girl twins and their older brother.' Anima blinked and began to answer when Jenova's yawn erupted in her head. She now fled the beach and left the woman to her musings. She flattened herself against a house while the townsfolk stared at her.

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Seth stood at the path leading into Fort Condor. He promptly walked inside and climbed the rope to find information about anyone who had passed by. They gave him what he wanted and left him to his searches. He soon found what he wanted and left the place heading towards Junon. He hoped to make it before the next ship arrived, which would take him 2 days. Well a day and a half if he didn't rest for too long.

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Anima had spent the days and nights hidden near the docks waiting for the ship to come when at last it did she almost darted for it, when she saw a man walk by in a black trenchcoat, black pants, and a pair of really tall black boots. She peered after the man and found that it was Seth. She followed him as he walked up the ramp matching his steps exactly in time so he didn't even know she was there. After they both had boarded the ship she made for the lower deck to find a disguise. It wasn't that hard as there were extra uniforms for the deck hands and officers guarding the ship. She picked up one of each and decided on the officers' uniform. She quickly dressed in it and walked to the upper deck. She took atop the cabin of the ship and stood at attention. Of course by nightfall she would be tired. She saw Sephiroth walk down below deck and wanted to follow, but couldn't for the risk of being found out. She had done a good job on disguising herself, but wasn't the greatest on keeping awake for the disguise she had chosen.

After a moment a hand tapped her on the shoulder and a voice roughly told her, "Get down below deck officer! We are not to be sleeping at our post!" she almost let a squeal, but saluted and scrambled off the cabin top to get below deck. She hopped behind some boxes and began to take a nap.

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She awoke just as the ship docked in Costa Del Sol. She then scrambled off the ship as quickly as possible. Seth had spotted her once he disembarked, but he figured her for a Shinra soldier guard looking for a bit of action. She then moved towards the Inn, where Seth was spending the night. She waited until he had gotten his room before wandering to the innkeeper and getting one herself. She wandered up the stairs and into her room where she spent the night laying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. The very place she would be going was not Nibelheim, but the city of the ancients. Vincent had guessed wrong. Maybe eventually she would be going to Nibelheim, but not quite. The next morning she donned the uniform again and walked outside. She stared out over the ocean and tried to keep her tail in check. She soon would go to the souvenir shop and look around. Seth was there, looking for information. She looked at a rack full of wide-brimmed hats. Most of which were black or red. She began to reach for a black one, when Seth looked in her general direction.

"Hey you!" he called out. Anima looked at him, still hidden in the Shinra guard uniform. "You seen a girl with red eyes and a tail?"

She shook her head in reply. Seth grumbled to himself as she chose a red wide brimmed hat and a cloak of the same color.

To Be Continued...


	9. A Second Chance 2: Chapter 1

A second chance the new Sephiroth: the sequel

It had been months since Anima had been seen by anyone. sightings of a black haired woman with a brown tail had been filed in many towns, but they thought the woman was just a myth. a figure with a deep red wide brimmed hat stood atop the old Shinra tower watching the night lights wink in and out like the twinkling stars above. her red eyes hidden in the shadows of the hat. a blood stained cloak accompanied the hat. It had long subsituted a leather coat that had been found torn and bloody next to the newest of the worlds weapons. Sapphire. well what Sapphire had shed to get away alive. the figure glance at its' left arm as a rogue wind blew its' long black hair around. the arm was bandaged heavily and hung in a bloodstained sling. a sword rested in the figures right hand, tip resting on the cold hard steel that was the roof of Shinra HQ.

"Six divt seh og zaav?" (how long has it been?) a woman's voice erupted from within the figure. "Hovpa O dehg hex uiy?" (since i last saw you?) a hand raised and brushed away a few fringes of hair that swung into her crimson eyes. she looked to the horizon to notice that the sun had begun its journey through the sky once again signaling a new day. she reached into the pack at her side and drew out a pair of sunglasses. soon she would have to flee the area once more. she did not want to be found atop the building again by the shinra guards in such a weakened condition. a light came on in a house close to sector 6. time to go see him again. time to go catch a glimpse of his handsome face. but also time to leave a message. tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of him. she drew out the paper she had written the messgae upon and read it over a few times. alright. time to go give it to him. but first she must get off the Shinra tower before the guards came. she leapt from the building as a guard shouted.

"Call the president!" the guard screamed, "the Crimson Cetra is back!" she had gotten the title a long while back by dropping an ancient artifact belonging to the Cetrian race. that and her crimson attire.

she twisted in mid-air and yelled out at the guard, "Uiy xodd vanak fa! Gsa Pkofhiv Pagka!" (You will never catch me! The Crimson Cetra!) with that she dropped out of sight once again.

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Seth awoke to the yell of the guards and the woman who had leapt from the Shinra tower. Anything yelled from there would carry all over Midgar. he happened to look out of his window to see the woman twist and drop to the ground. he barely got a glimpse of her before she disappeared. he wondered where she was off to in such a hurry. he shrugged and walked towards his bed once again to lay down. not long after he lay down he heard a soft thud on his roof.

'Probably some tree climbing animal,' he thought to himself as he rolled over in the bed.

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she sat upon the roof for quite some time before she lowered herself to the grass and peered into Seth's house. good, he was asleep. she watched him for only a moment before slipping inside to hide from the guards. she hoped he wouldn't awaken and catch her in his house. her wide brimmed hat fell onto the floor as she slipped from the room. she realized the loss when she felt wind brush the top of her head. she began to turn back, when she heard Seth move in his bed. she stopped at the door and watched him sit up and look to the deep crimson hat laying upon the floor. she so badly wanted to reach out and snatch it, but she didn't want to be found. Seth crossed the room and lifted the hat, then looked to the open window.

"Hmm... must of blown inside... well if the owner wants it they'll return for it." he studied the hat for a moment "or maybe the owner of this hat was seeking a place to hide and the hat fell off here..." he smirked and placed the hat over his beautiful black hair. she dared to push the door further open.

"Feu O sena fu seg zepr?" (may i have my hat back?) Seth looked at the black haired woman in the doorway of his bedroom. he then took of the hat and held it to her.

"You're the Crimson Cetra."

"Gseg oh xseg gsau pedd fa." (that is what the call me.) She placed her hat upon her head, "O fyhg za tiovt." (I must be going.) she turned and began to walk towards the front door.

"Wait!" he cried. she stopped, hand on the doorknob. "what's your name?"

"O vi divtak kafafzak..." (I no longer remember...) she now opened the door and left.

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* * *

Krazie: dude... what happened there? anyone got a guess? 

Sephiroth/Seth: don't know thought you knew?

Cloud, Red, Tifa, Aeris, Vincent, Yuffie, & Cait Sith/Reeve: hey are we in the story!

Barret: Shi'! Shut yo mouth and just wait!

Cid: lights up a cigarette We ain't in this F&&# story so sit yer A$ down and shut up!

Krazie: eyes Cid a moment You better put that out or Imma smack you upside your head! I'm tryin to quit damn you!

All except Cid look at Krazie.

Cid: Do i look likei give a F&?

Krazie: smirks I could have you killed off easily in my story you know.

Cid puts out his cigarette.

Krazie: Good. now to speak a bit about other things. To those who wanted to know whether they are in this part or not. You'll just have to wait and see. to Those who liked the first one i'm glad to have written it. Thanks it really made my day. well does anyone have any ideas about what should happen next? please tell me it would help a lot.


	10. Lazy

KN: heh it's been a while. since I updated my longest fanfic. heh. i love this fanfic. it's my pride and joy. HAHA!

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Seth sat staring after the woman in the dark red cloak and hat left. She rubbed his black haired head. Who was she? Where did she come from? And why was she in his house when there were others so much closer? So many questions unanswered. So much confusion. What was so special about him? 

The more Seth thought the more confused he became.

That night the one known as the Crimson Cetra sat upon an old reactor with one of her knees drawn up to herself. The other strait in front.

"Seth…" she stared at the house that he lived in quietly. "O hsiydl za ezda gi kafafzak fika gsev xsed O li…" (I should be able to remember more than what I do…) she sighed heavily. "O liv'g xevg gi za gsa Pkofhiv Pagke evu divtak.." (I don't want to be the Crimson Cetra any longer…) she leaned upon her right hand quietly and contemplated how she could get out of this predicament.

"O xevg gi za fuhadm.." (I want to be myself.)

Seth walked to the self for the seventh time that night.

"Where is the book Vincent gave me?" he said frustrated. "I wish I could have understood what she said." He pulled a small leather-bound volume from the shelf and cracked open the cover.

-To Seth: may you find our daughter safely. Aeris and Vincent Valentine- he took the book to his desk and began to study the language again. It had been long enough since he had last spoken it and he had almost forgotten it completely.

"Lefvog! six piydl O sena miktiggav!" (Damnit! how could I have forgotten!) he cried out in Cetrian not realizing it. He spent the long hours of the night reading and rereading the book feverishly, as if he were mad with insanity.

The Crimson Cetra., Crymsan for the sake of giving her a name, still sat upon the old reactor watching Seth read and reread the book.

"Seh sa tiva fel?" (Has he gone mad?) she watched as he set down the book and walked off to bed. Crymsan sighed heavily.

"Fiktona fa kiha im fu saekg. O xohs gi rvix xseg uiy xiydl gsovr im fa vix xogs fu vaxmiyvl ezodogoah evl fu ezhavg fafiku..." (Forgive me rose of my heart. I wish to know what you would think of me now with my newfound abilities and my absent memory...) with that she quit the reactor and fled the area.

soon after Crymsan fled the area. Seth found himself dreaming.

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Seth found himself standing in a medow facing the back of a deep red cloaked figure with long black hair flowing from underneath a deep red hat. The figure turned to reveal a familiar face. A smile came to the lips of the face and then moved as if speaking.

"Mecha?"

"Vi." (No.)

"Anima?"

"Six pifa o pevvig kafafzak? Anima. Seth kafovl fa xsi O gkydu ef." (How come i cannot remember? Anima. Seth remind me who I truly am.)

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Seth sat up as his dream ended. the last thing he remembered hearing as he awoke he swore he heard the Crimson Cetra speaking. Her voice was indeed on the wind.

"Seth! Mekaxadd Seth. Hsedd iyk cegsh faag ivpa fika!"

Crymsan

She found herself running over the lands towards the chocobo farm.

"O hsiydl hgic tiovt ovgi Midgar. Og raach taggovt fa ovgi gkiyzda..." (I should stop going into Midgar. It keeps getting me into trouble...) she sighed, continuing on to the ranch of chocobo. "Uag evigsak leu.." (Yet another day..) she got to the ranch and fed the chocobos. The chocobo groomer would be around soon enough to groom the chocobo for the President of Midgar and his assistants were arriving with a friend of president Strife, so they could find someone to cheer him up. She hid her cloak and hat away and took a nap in the hay.

She was awakened by a broom shoved into her side.

"Get up Lazy! Go get changed. You have ten minutes before the president gets here!" the wife of one of the ranch hands wailed. No one on the ranch knew her name so the called her Lazy. Because she spent most of the day sleeping. She ran and did as she was told, putting on a clean pair of overalls and a clean t-shirt. It was all she owned anyways. She stepped outside and since she had forgotten to tie her hair back again she was whacked in the side by the owners wife. She yelped catching the attention of President Strife and his winged friend, who turned out to be Seth. He lay sight on Lazy and blinked.

"Is it…. Anima?" the girl resembled the long missing Anima very much. She quickly swept up her hair as her eyes seemed to water, when Mrs. Asheburn had slapped her after the initial whacking.

"You no good lazy girl. Even the girl we called Ashe was better than you!" the girl managed a high ponytail despite the slaps Mrs. Asheburn was inflicting upon her. She afterward fled, with Seth on her heels. She scrambled into a tree and tried to speak with her as Mrs. Asheburn sauntered her overly obese form behind him.

"She only understands slaps and beatings that stupid girl." the girl they called Lazy spoke finally before Seth could answer.

"Og'h zapeyha uiy eka e sikkavliyh anod xifev xsi pevvig yvlakhgevl evugsovt, zyg gi zaeg evigsak!"

"What did she say to me!"

"It's because you are a horrendous evil woman who cannot understand anything, but to beat another…" Seth repeated word for word in the common language the woman spoke.

"Get down her right now you little ingrate!" Lazy just crossed her arms and glared as Mrs. Asheburn.

"I'll take this one…" Seth said. "She will make a fine friend.."

"Oh you will not have that insolent beast!" Seth grabbed the heavy woman

"But I will Mrs. Asheburn.." he then told Lazy to gather everything that belonged to herself and pack it up. She nodded and took off quickly.


	11. Saving the Crimson Cetra

Lazy and Seth traveled to Midgar in a matter of silence. Neither had questions for the other, for each was lost in their own thoughts. Cloud discussed things with his associates, and the many hired for guards were laughing and joking amongst themselves, but keeping sharp eyes out for danger. So was Lazy, but no one knew that she was keeping sharper eyes than the sharpest on the team of guards. It wasn't long after they left the ranch that an ambush happened to appear. The guards scattered to annihilate the enemy and Lazy ran off. No one knew why the young female had bolted, but soon the Crimson Cetra jumped into the fray and engaged the enemy.

"Feu fu zdela za hxomg..." (May my blade be swift...) Seth blinked when those words entered his ears. He stared on as the Crimson Cetra fought and protected him and his group. Strange it was, for the Crimson Cetra only protected what she wanted to protect, which usually involved fighting off Shinra guards to escape with her freedom. She twisted, turned, spun, and parried, avoiding most of the attacks that came her way. It took quite some time for she and the guards about to finish off the ambushers. The men escaped with none dead. Maybe a few non-lethal gashes here and there. The Crimson Cetra however, fell to her knees and clutched her bandaged arm.

"Gsa Mako vi divtak xikrh... xsaka oh Osimmier? O vaal gi haa Osimmier..." (The Mako no longer works... where is Osimmier? I need to see Osimmier...) Cloud looked at the girl kneeling.

"What is that?" he asked her.

"She wants Norman Osimmier. The Mako no longer works she said." Cloud looked at Seth.

"You understand her?" Seth nodded as he picked the girl up and stretched his wings a little.

"Cdaeha... Gera fa gi Osimmier." (Please. Take me to Osimmier.) Seth mumbled something to the girl as he took to the air for the Shinra Tower to see Osimmier. Once he arrived he noticed the crimson hat had fallen during flight and that her eyes were shut. He carried her into the lab where Osimmier was working and lay her on a lab table.

"Osimmier..." the gray-haired man turned and looked at the girl.

"I see it's time for her to return. I knew this day would come. The Crimson Cetra." he grabbed a long syringe and walked to the girl and pushed the cloak from her left side. He began to unwrap her arm and stopped when he reached the top of a gash in her arm. He then inserted the needle into her arm and injected slowly. "There. She will be fine soon."

-The Crimson Cetra's POV-

My eyes fluttered open and I stared into the Mako glowing eyes of Seth. Something in them seemed familiar in the way he was looking at me. Like long lost love. I quickly turned my scarlet colored eyes from his face and mumbled to myself, "Sephiroth... Gseg xeh fu fohhoiv. Gi movl sof..." (Sephiroth... That was my mission. To find him...) I stood as the two looked at me.

"Xsaka oh Mecha's zadinal Sephiroth?" (Where is Mecha's beloved Sephiroth?)

They shook their heads as the elder answered me, "I'm afraid I cannot tell you madam cetra."

I grabbed his coat as I cried, "Evl xsu gsa sadd vig?.! O xeh gidl gi-!" (And why the hell not?.! I was told to-!) a hand was slapped over my mouth to keep me from speaking further.

A strong voice whispered into my ear, "Jyoag lixv... Ivdu Norman evl O rvix uiy eka saka. Za tdel O vanak geytsg Cloud gi yvlakhgevl uiy. Uiy feu diha uiyk doma om soh tyeklh movl iyg O zkiytsg uiy saka." (Quiet down... Only Norman and I know you are here. Be glad I never taught Cloud to understand you. You may lose your life if his guards find out I brought you here.) My hands slipped from the lapels of his labcoat and dropped to my side under my cloak.

"Thank you Norman, once again for saving my life. It is my deepest regret to fail my mission."

-Normal POV-

They stared at her in utter confusion. She hadn't uttered a word in Cetrian for once. She shook her head and wandered towards the window of the room.

"Li aogsak im uiy rvix xsaka O feu movl fu seg ik e psevta im pdigsah? Gsaka oh hifaiva O fyhg ti haa..." (Do either of you know where I may find my hat or a change of clothes? There is someone I must go see...)

Seth took flight and returned within the hour with her hat and placed it on her head. She lifted her hands and adjusted it quietly. She winked at Seth and flicked the brim of her hat.

"Vi vaal gi xikku eziyg Lazy. hsa'h cakmapgdu mova." (No need to worry about Lazy. she's perfectly fine.) With that she leapt from the window and waved to them both, before landing on a roof below and taking off out of Midgar.

Have you ever wondered what happened to Aeris and Vincent? Well Aeris passed away after Anima had gone missing, only because she was immensely sick. Vincent remained in the Mansion and slept in his coffin a lot of the time. But let's not focus upon them. Let us focus on the Crimson Cetra who arrived in Nibelheim sometime later.

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Krazie: sorry it's so short people... had to get at least something here... 

Sephiroth: you know, Krazie, no one cares.

Krazie: shut it!


	12. Akunochimata

KE: as usual don't own the story, but this chapter kinda has no one else in it, but my OC... strange... anyways. enjoy...

IMPORTANT NOTE: reverse Cetrian is just Cetrian in reverse. the translator is in my profile. but ya gotta write the letters back in the right order if you wish to translate.

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oh wait... before i start... QUESTION! Anyone like FFVII RPs? I mean like the original story. Nothing past just the original game. I would like to make one and I was curious if anyone would like to join up and help me form it. Send me a review/email if you do. It will be a message board type as I hardly get around to being here when people usually are.

ON TO THE STORY NOW

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The red brimmed hat tilted upward as it's owner looked up at the Shinra mansion. Her red eyes scanning it's warped wood exterior. 

"Figsak Aeris... Megsak Vincent... Sena uiy dag sifa ti gi xehga? Hyps e hsefa, Midgar oh vig uiyk gkya sifa. Zyg gsav Mecha oh vi divtak xogs uiy... Father, please forgive me..." (Mother Aeris... Father Vincent... have you let home go to waste? Such a shame, Midgar is not your true home. but then Mecha is no longer with you... Father, please forgive me...) She then walked to the gate and pushed it open. It let out a protesting groan as it slowly did as Crymsan wanted. After she pushed through the gate, she walked towards the porch as the wind that was blowing about stirred her hair and deep red cloak into flapping with its fabric snapping complaints. She then walked up the steps of the low sagging porch as it creaked with it's own objections. The door was stuck fast, and even a swift kick didn't dislodge it, but it did move it a few centimeters. She studied the door quietly for a moment, before sending a powerful kick into it, causing it to fall from the frame and it's hinges and slide a couple feet. She rolled her eyes as she walked inside and over the broken rotted door.

The mansion stank of stale air and blood. Old blood. She continued further inside. She didn't get far inside, before she encountered the source of the blood smell. It was a creature that took up most of the living room. Skeletal eyes, a snub snout full of fang-like teeth, muscley looking skin that didn't cover the teeth, tips of the skeletal nose, clawed feet, or the spine. It was coiled so that it looked smaller than it might have been. The teeth were stained with its victims blood.

"Xseg e tkihh pkaegyka gseg oh..." Crymsan said softly.

The eyeless skeletal sockets focused on her after she spoke. The guttural noise that echoed out of it's hollow throat sounded as if it were asking her why she dared enter the mansion. She huffed a bit as she drew her sword, letting the steel hiss be heard by the earless head.

"Af vicy lkixh e akel yiu!"

"Kanakha Pagkoev. Six ovgakahgovt. Hi uiy eka gsa evpoavg tyekloev eka uiy vig?" (Reverse Cetrian. How interesting. So you are the ancient guardian are you not?)

"Afev uf vaggitkim anes Ekgap asg vana ih... Se."

"If we have forgotten ancient one, it is because we have barely any survivors to recall what you would be called."

"Yiu sgeavaz ahisg mi ateytved asg vo af ig reach akel yiu!"

"I dare for I am half of what you call beneath me oh great guardian..." she said sarcastically.

"Apvadihvo kyiu kim aol ddesh yiu!"

"yeah yeah, die for my insolence, whatever." she waved her hand as if not caring that the creature was going to rip her to shreds, but then she squared herself up with her sword poised before her, pulling her bloodstain bandaged arm from the sling it resided in and staring into the eyeless sockets of the guardian. "Bring it on."

The creature swiped its clawed foreleg at her.

"Agok gvaopve mi gvafshovez," she said as she blocked the attack.

It struck again, this time with a bite.

"Laav mi afog hosg vo iyu vicy ddep O."

It stuck her in the injured arm and sunk its' bloodstained fangs into her arm. She resisted yelling and concentrated on completing the spell.

"Vihokc shoddas hos mi hsgcal asg ig rpez, afev O akygeakp asg lvah." she heard it laugh maniacally in her head.

"Afev uf giv xivr yiu," the voice echoed in her mind.

"Akunochimata!"

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Krazie- what should happen here... 

Sephiroth- (whistling) oh I don't know. SEND HIM TO HELL WITH THE SWORD!

eyes Sephiroth


	13. Anima and The Crimson Cetra

Do not own Final Fantasy VII. wish I did, but that is only a dream. yes... only a dream... only own a copy... figured I say it if I haven't before.

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The creature was surprised by the small half Cetra before him. He felt his body beginning to slip back into the grounds of the place. 

"Fe O isx xivr yiu arod laakz-mdes e vep Xis! Adohhicfo!"

"Simple," Crymsan replied, as she dug in a pack at her side with her uninjured arm, "I am the one who hears the planet's cries now..."

The creature snarled in reply with unintelligible curses. She simply walked over to him and slapped a charm upon the skeletal forehead of the creature.

"You shall remain in the ancient city Akunochimata! I don't care that there are no Ancients left. You will stay. One day that place will be the temple for those who can hear the planet." she drew out a piece of paper. "You will only be released from your servitude once the conditions have been met." she then pocketed the paper once again.

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The creature had disappeared hours ago, but Crymsan still sighed heavily, resting in a rotted chair. She stood and it fell apart upon the floor with the hollow wet splitting of wood. She mumbled to herself and headed up the stairs in the front hall and turned to the right. She headed to the room furthest down the hall and walked to the circular brick structure in the wood. She pushed it in and slid it with much exertion on her part. The brick wall had become heavy with water soaked wood pressing on the top. After she had finally shoved it open, she descended the rotten spiral ramp that lead to the bottom of the house. 

"Yeesh.. The scent of this place is horrific!" her voice echoed off the walls masking the splitting timbers beneath her feet. Solid ground, then, all of a sudden, nothing. She blinked as she felt her hair fly up above her head as she began the falling descent. The fall although not very long, caught her off guard and she landed clumsily and teetered on her feet before falling onto her butt. She half closed her eyes in annoyance, before freeing her injured arm from it's sling and got up. She looked around and eyed the only two doors in the basement area. A hundred yards to the first of the two and fifty to the second. She knew of the yin-yangs that wandered these halls. Dangerous and taller than 3 men. She hoped to slip into the room of coffins before the ones that had sprung up came after her. No such luck. As she walked down the hall one lumbered into her path and swiped a clawed appendage at her. She jumped back and swung her sword, from what seemed like nowhere and hacked the offending appendage off. It breathed fire at her and she sliced it's left head. It kicked at her and she slashed it's leg. It roared and she killed it by cutting off both heads. She then raced into the coffin room and sheathed her sword. She closed the door quickly and backed into the shadows of the shadows. The coffin in the center of the room flew open and a man with a cloak and long hair sat up and got out of it.

"Who disturbs my sleep?"

"Father?"

"No one has called me by that title since my daughter Anima went missing..."

"I had to leave... Mecha asked me to find Sephiroth..."

"He is in Midgar. Go back there. Return to the life you currently have. I wish to sleep with my sins."

"But father..."

"Do as I say.." the girl lowered her head.

"Yes father... sleep well..." She walked past him to leave, but he stopped her.

"So much like your mother. Farewell Anima. My young Crimson Cetra." he turned back to his coffin and the top flew onto it once more. Then the young half-cetra left.

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Several weeks later Lazy stumbled into Midgar and fell right before Seth. 

"Lazy! Where have you been?" he picked up the poor girl and wrapped her in his wings.

"Sephiroth..." Seth stared down at the girl he was holding. How did she know his true name? He would have to ask her when she awoke. "Anima is looking for you... Crimson Cetra.." her voice was but a whisper to his ears.

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A few hours later Lazy awoke to find herself laying in a semi-dark room and she sat up and a wave of exhaustion flowed through her. 

'Ergh... I shouldn't have run so hard..' she sat up to find her arm cleanly badaged. She slipped her injured arm into the overalls she was wearing and stood up. She wandered to the door and saw her half open backpack. She dug in it and drew out a hair brush and brushed her hair. after that she opened the door and wandered out. It was quiet and alone. Seth must have gone to work or something. she wandered out onto the porch and looked around. she noticed a half -dead garden to the left and wandered in that direction. she wandered into the grass and flopped down. She stared at the blue sky until something caught her eye. she turned towards it and noticed it was a materia. She moved towards it and reached under the bush to where it was at.

"Lazy! Where are you?!" seems as Seth had gotten home early or she had been sleeping a very long time. She sat very still, hand poised to grab the materia. After a moment, she watched him come out dressed in a black leather trench coat, leather pants, and a pair of leather boots secured near his knees with two bands. He walked up to the garden mumbling to himself about the 'damned girl wandering off again'. She then noticed the long sword he carried and grabbed the materia and scurried into the bush further. He began to practice with the huge sword, his hair free of its usual tie and flying free. She stared in complete awe and one word entered her mind. Sephiroth. Could it be? The man Mecha had told her to search for was here? She began to work her way out of the bush and called out.

"Hey... I'm coming out of here!" Seth stopped his practice and he saw a tail flick out briefly, before the 'damned girl' crawled out of the bush.

"Where were you Lazy?"

"Well... I was just looking at something I found and please, don't call me that anymore..."

"What should I call you?"

"I... don't know.. Someone told me my name is Anima." She stood and stared him in the eyes.

"Why is the Crimson Cetra looking for Sephiroth?" he finally asked her.

"My sister asked me to take care of him."

"Your sister?" He blinked at her.

"I am the Crimson Cetra.."

"You don't look like the Crimson Cetra." The girl smirked lightly.

"Follow me." She walked into the house and dug into her backpack. she pulled out a bloodstained, ripped, and sloppily repaired, deep red cloak and walked from the house and into the slums. She walked for quite a time before reaching a pipe that hadn't been used in years and dug inside pulling out a deep red wide brimmed hat and flapped it a few times to get the wrinkles out and set it upon her head. She turned towards Seth after swinging the cloak around herself and fastening it with one hand. He was blinking in massive confusion. She took him to where she had hidden her sword not too far from the pipe and drew it out of some high grass. she hefted it up upon her shoulder and looked at him again.

"You are?"

She yawned lazily in reply.

"Who was your sister?"

"Mecha Valentine..." Seth stared wide-eyed at the red-eyed girl before him.

"Let's go eat supper. We must discuss something..." Anima raised a brow, but followed him when he walked back to the house. On the way she spotted some shinra guards, but they pay her no mind as she wasn't causing trouble. That and her tail wasn't visible. as she passed them by she heard one huff about people trying to pull of the crimson Cetra look. She gave the men a strange look until Seth looked at her. "The Crimson Cetra has quite a few followers."

She blinked at him.

"There are many out the who dress like her and at first the guards were grabbing people left and right until the jails filled up. they had to release everyone. You see, since there are so many red cloaked and red hatted women out there they cannot arrest anyone who is not speaking the ancient language or causing trouble." she nodded and followed behind him.

* * *

KE "Geez... I can't think of anymore..

Sephiroth "I seem to be such a wimp..."

KE "Sorry Sephy."


End file.
